I got stopped by a policeman today on my way back from the club with my parents.
We had to take a right turn and when the green light turned on,we passed the signal.
My car cleared it last and we were stopped by a traffic policeman.
He didn't quite fit the usual fat bellied,paan chewing,moustache-covering-half-his-face stereotype that swarms Madras.
He actually spoke English!
No offence to my city's police squad but it never occurred to me that they might know the universal language.
And I thought their Tamil vocabulary only extended to "Violation saaar.Yippo fine pottana 1500 yille..." (Violation Sir.The fine is 1500 but..) to "License yedungu' (which translates to take out your purse actually).
My father got out of the car and Mr T-P said,
"Signal Violation Sir.I saw with my own eyes."
"Would my wife and I let our daughter break the rules with us sitting next to her?She went when there was a green light."
"I will write a ticket, Sir..."
"Go ahead.Send it.I will explain it in the court if I have to"
My father got into the car and we drove away, leaving a gaping policeman behind.
He didn't get his 50 or 100.
Two movie tickets for his wife for a Saturday night show.Bottles of Pepsi,icecream or biscuits for his children.Perhaps a round of whiskey with his friends at the nearest TASMAC.
Whatever it was for,it wasn't going to be from my fathers wallet to his.
I wish I had jumped the signal.There's nothing worse than being blamed and punished for something that you didn't do.
Shit happens!
Sigh...

On a different note, my best friend told me about a site.
www.stickcricket.com
Let me warn you.Its extremely..extremely..extremely addictive.
The game is fast.You use only three keys.A fourth if you want but three would do.Even my older sister could play this.
Registration is simple.Doesn't go on for pages.
Its fun.Lots of fun.
Until you lose against Kenya and Bangaldesh.
Until you actually give those Kenyan and Bangaladeshi bowlers hat tricks.
Until the Sri Lankans clean you out in three overs.
But I guess that's fun in its own little sick way.
Sigh...