Order of the dayIn the jamboree of the Chatuhshrungi fair, somebody has attempted to maintain a semblance of order. That somebody being the Traffic Control branch of the Pune Police. Setting up barricades along the section of the Senapati Bapat Road from the temple to the Ganeshkhind Road, it tries to ensure that the throngs of devotees walking up for a visit do so without hindering the traffic. The parking along the sides of Ganeshkhind Road is also monitored, especially in the evenings, and a general vigilance is maintained by a makeshift post set up near the National Informatics Centre. So, if out of the blue you hear somebody bellow out, telling you to park your vehicle properly, it's just the cop on duty! These efforts notwithstanding, there have been instances of traffic jams this season too, but then things are like this only!Surface tensionThe Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has declared trench warfare on the citizens of Pune. And though it might not use quite these terms, it certainly seems the case. The road connecting the Peru Gate Police Chowkey with Tilak Road in Sadashiv Peth has been dug up for laying new drainage pipes. The trench is right in the middle of the road, causing great inconvenience to commuters. The trenches, which had been filled up with loose earth, turned into slush as the rain-gods opened up.On September 26, around 8.30 p.m., as vehicles turned up on the road, they fell into the trench at regular intervals. And every time a vehicle would fall, pedestrians would rush in to help the stranded drivers. But strangely enough, the police was not as forthcoming. Within an hour, seven cars had already fallen and had been retrieved after considerable efforts. As this writer was involved in trying to get one of the cars out of the hole, his foot went right through the surface. Much later in the night, the police finally put up a sign cautioning drivers but then it was a little too late. The police claim that the PMC had the requisite permission but doesn't that also entail a little responsibility? Or is callousness the order of the day?Sign of good timesOne always knew that Libra was a lucky sun sign, and this seems to be reiterated by Genesis, the event management outfit that has planned a Libra Nite on October 1 at 10 Downing Street. Every Libran will apparently get a piece of the cake and some might even walk away with gifts. But considering that no one's been asked to bring along a birth certificate, one wonders how the organisers are going to differentiate a Libran from a Scorpion or a Cancerian or. But what the heck, the idea, we are sure, is just to make sure that the balance ultimately tilts in favour of having a jolly good time, even if other signs outnumber the Librans.Also happening that very night is `Shower Shindig' at the Totem Pole, with `baarish music', oversize umbrellas and cut-outs of clouds showering rain. So after Freaky Fridays, is it Thunderous Thursdays now at Pune's best-known discotheque?
