BENGALURU: We all would agree that these days, the incidents of abuse of social networking are largely outnumbering the examples of its fruitful use. Nonetheless, we can not ignore the level of connectivity provided to us by these social media sites. One such incident in Silicon Valley of India proved that if used correctly, social networking can be used to bring positive change.
On 2nd jan, BC Christopher (Twitter handle: @bcchristopher) acted as a responsible citizen and took to the popular social micro-messaging site Twitter to report an incident of overcharging by an auto-rickshaw driver. The tweet was addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru. The tweet read: “@CPBlr Sir, this autodriver was demandng frm 2 girls ₹200 frm OrionMall to MantriMall. Overcharging. Action possible? “.Attached with the tweet were two pictures – one, showing the registration number of the auto and the other, of the faulty driver.
It should be noted that the distance from Orion mall to Mantri mall, for which the girls wanted to hire the auto, is approximately 3.8 km. According to the Bengaluru auto fare chart, a distance of 3.8 km amounts to a fare of Rs. 50.00 only. The demanded fare of Rs. 200 is 4 times the legally specified fare.
After Christopher brought up the issue on Twitter, Bengaluru policed acted swiftly and caught the defaulter driver within two days. The DCP of the concerned area tweeted “We got this auto driver.we will initiate action against him. Good job by our PI mvm Shivshankar”.
The Logical Indian community appreciates the noble thought and responsible action taken by BC Christopher. Two points about Christopher should be brought to everyone’s notice. One, his concern for fellow citizens, chucking the common ‘it’s-none-of-my-business’ attitude. Two, bringing up the issue on a social platform and believing that his online query will be addressed. The Bengaluru City Police should be praised for addressing and handling a citizen’s online complaint, setting an example for other government departments which are still dormant on social platforms. Taking quick action to arrest the driver is another exemplary act by the Bengaluru police.
The bottomline is: abating crime requires joint effort by both the citizens and the police.
-Sakshi Singhal
Columnist, The Logical Indian
