All of a sudden, the cops of this city seem to be 'sitting upright' and taking their jobs rather seriously. I am referring to the cops patrolling in the nights to ensure law and order. One of the issues in the nights is drunken driving. We all are aware that there have been a good many accidents in recent years due to drunken driving.

After an occasional late night movie or dinner, you find yourself going homewards only to be stopped short by the cops. I haven't seen the four-wheeled vehicles stopped to be checked if their drivers are under the influence of alcohol but the two-wheeled vehicles are constantly under the diligent eye of the cops.

This whole issue has a very funny twist to it. It so happened that I was returning home with a friend on a Saturday evening when a cop stopped us right on the middle of the road to check if we had consumed alcohol. My friend who was riding the bike had a good 4 pegs of drinks before dinner. He seemed to be at ease with himself and was not the least bit scared of being caught smelling of alcohol.

I began to panic a little because I had not much money in my purse to pay the cop incase he demanded a fine. I was also sure that my friend would put up a stubborn front and not relent to the demands of the cop. I was a bit surprised at how unruffled my friend seemed to be although he knew the inevitable encounter was awaiting him a few yards ahead.

As expected, the cop stopped our motorbike and asked my friend to open his mouth. He opened his mouth confidently and the cop put his nose close to his mouth to smell any signs of alcohol. Convinced that my friend was sober, the cop let us go in peace. Watching this whole incident happen in style, I was amused beyond words as to how suavely my friend carried it off.

The whole affair was simple, he said. He opened his mouth and inhaled instead of exhaling. And to top that, he was smart enough to know that the cop himself was red eyed under the heavy influence of some cheap alcohol. It's all so simple here in India, especially in the Pub Capital of India, Bangalore.

I wondered for days as to what exactly the cops were up to while 'discharging their duties in the nights'! Were they in their own blissful state after consuming their share of booze or were they making an attempt to preserve the law and order of the city??

Bangaloreans will continue to make merry in the nights and ride/drive recklessly without the fears of being caught and fined, thanks to the drunken cops themselves. Will the concerned authorities do something about it?

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