Excuse me, please! Delhi gets innovative

New Delhi: Monday saw Delhiites largely comply with the traffic restrictions. The odd ones out were fined and, while some were even mannered about it, others weren't. So, from protests to temper tantrums, cops had to deal with a variety of emotions.
Excuses ranged from ignorance to sudden memory lapse to unexpected emergencies-in some cases these were genuine, though police and volunteers found it tough to differentiate.
In line with directions from the government, cops weren't as liberal with violators as on the first two days. Anuradha Mathur, for example, was challaned near Anand Vihar for being in an odd-numbered car on an even day. A chauffeur-driven car may have its perks, but not when you could have got an exemption driving yourself.
A resident of Najibabad in UP, Mathur pleaded she had come to Delhi only to drop off a patient at Max Hospital, but her pleas cut no ice. She was told that an exception could be made only if the patient was in the vehicle. "I have all medical reports with me and the rules clearly said exemptions are allowed in emergencies. I support this move, but today I feel harassed,'' she said.
Another commuter, Bilal Ahmed, was challaned near the same spot. "I was aware of the rules, but I had to drop someone at the railway station. I had initially planned to go back home after that, but since I have been challaned, I will now go to Delhi and finish other pending work. The cops police can't challan me twice,'' he said.
Many cited confusion for their errant behaviour. Fifty-year-old Manjeet Singh travels from Namdhari Colony in Kirti Nagar to Hari Nagar for work. It wasn't until he was spotted at a traffic signal in Moti Nagar with his odd-numbered car that he realised he was violating the rule. "I was confused about whether it's odd dates and even days, or odd and even days of the week," he told the police.
It was an odd situation for Anjana Ranamal Odedra, a British national, who is in India for an official assignment. She had to pay the fine as she had a male chauffeur. "I'm in India for a few days. I have to go to three-four places in a day for meetings. I need a chauffeur, as I can't drive in India. I can't use the public transport as it is crowded, poorly connected and unsafe," she said.
Still others had some inexplicable reasons to offer. A resident of Sangam Vihar, who was out in his odd-numbered car, was caught by the traffic police at the Badarpur-Mehrauli road. "My car needed immediate servicing. I couldn't wait till tomorrow as I have a meeting," said Rajesh Kumar (name changed).
Amit Kumar, a businessman and a resident of Dwarka, was fined near Dwarka Mor metro station. "I went to Manali for a vacation and returned to the city today. I have a CNG car, but I need to get the sticker and I was going to the petrol pump for that only."Another driver tried to flaunt his connections, but was politely but firmly refused.