Friday, December 30, 2005

Chennai Trivia - 14

This time I will make it contemporary. Most of us cross the Anna Flyover in Gemini area on regular basis. Right at the apex of the flyover there is a small police shack 2ftx2ftx8ft with a Policeman inside it. Check carefully the next time you go across the fly over. So why is he there?

(I too don't have an answer but only a guess, let's see what you people come up with.)

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hiding from his wife ???

Surya said...

RAW?

Chenthil said...

Good guesses, but I don't think they are correct.

Anonymous said...

Elevated position. Can take out any target below with ease, in case there is a threat to the Consulate.

Chenthil said...

Yes Avaiz you are correct. This shack was not there before Sep 11, 2001. The next day it came up and was removed after a few months. Again it came up sometime in 2004 and has been there permanently. So I guess it is to protect the US Consulate.

Jaggy said...

Chenthil...

Have u noticed a Rapid action Force Van Stationed in the Cathedral Road... just next to US Consulate...

Its there for a long time....

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Da Rodent said...

Maybe to catch a cat nap without the Inspector noticing.. :-S

Anonymous said...

One thing I have noticed is that there is a barricade in front of the booth to prevent it from unruly truck drivers

Ravages/CC said...

I am guessing the US consulate too. But he could very easily be a general precaution these days. But he carries a mean piece. Perhaps hoping a threat of firearms would deter terrorism. Chenthil, though he did appear on the months after 911, he disappeared and has been there from March/April 2005. Not 2004. I used to take the flyover to go to my ex-office daily.

jal said...

perhaps thats where police men are sent if they break the rules....
cant be better than any jail out there...

Chakra said...

Chenthil... its been ages since i went past the flyover. But i remember seeing him even in the year 2000 itself, when I was in Chennai.

Chenthil said...

Chakra, I came to Chennai in 2001 only. May be he was there earlier too. But I think even then the purpose was to give cover to the US consulate. This is one of the difficult jobs in Chennai police. He has to sit in that booth through out the shift, can't even stretch his legs by walking about. Tough one.

Nilu said...

That it is for the US Consulate is pretty obvious. But, I think all of you are wrong about the reasons.

There was a bomb blas way before 9/11, in front of the Consulate compound. That was by Al-Umma, the coimbatore bomb blast folks. My guess is, it has been there since that 1998/99 bomb blasts.