India, not so bad? How I almost killed someone, but didn't.

TrinTrin · May 28th, 2007, 02:18

So today, being Sunday, a day when no one picks up the phone, writes emails, or wants to meet I gave up on work and went to the Country Club.

I doubled the first hole, parred the second, trippled the third whole and bogied the forth. My problem was clear, my drives were just not clean.

So on the fifth I meditated on my feelings about India and my business partners, which you all know about by now. I used that aggression to grip the club and make contact with the ball.

Amazingly the ball went straight down the left side of the fifth fairway. Being in India however, the karma was instant. I noticed as my ball was still soaring past 220 yards that one of the caddies had perched himself on the left hand side of the fairway (something they do to avoid walking extra distance, they hand you your driver for the next hole, and walk off, rather than joining you in the tee box they move straight onto the next holes fairway).

While he was at least 260 yards away from me I could see he was not paying attention at all. In fact I could see he was looking off into the distance, as many do here, contemplating something I just don't understand.

My gut reaction, being American, is to yell "Four," a warning signal that you give when your ball is about to ruin someone else's day. But in India the etiquiette is to yell, "hole." So I initially went to say "four," but setteled on "hole" losing that critical instant to warn him in time.

He heard me, and my caddy shout, and woke from his trance managing to hop, but not move in a lateral direction. His hop was ill fated and the ball struck him directly without bouncing. Where? I could not be sure. The poor little guy went right down.

My initial reaction was to panic, call for help, run, shout anything. I had great humanitarian concern for this little guy, whom I didn't even know. My foresome, was unconcerned and proceeded to tee off their own drives, but I was determined to get to the little guy immediately.

I found him on the ground clutching the area right below his knee with another guy rubbing the bruise. My initial reaction was somewhat relief, I'd feared I'd hit his head. I could see the bruise already forming on his little calf muscle. "Shall we call and ambulance?" I said concerned.

When he saw that I, a Gora had struck him, his wound became more painful. He suddenly tried walking, as if to show me, that I'd crippled him with my Taylor Made R5. His grimace was as evocative as the best European Footballer.

Then the Indian's I was playing with arrived.

"Give him 300 bucks (rupees)bucks and take your next shot."

This seemed entirely immoral to me. But, not wanting to offend anyone I gladly handed the money over. The caddy took the money willingly and then gave me another look of shere pain.

I called two people: my P.A. who is the largest and scariest Indian anyone has ever seen, and my lawyer. I feared violent reprisal, oh I was such a gullible gora. My lawyer said, "not to worry" and my P.A. said, "I'll be there in ten minutes - no problem." But deep down inside I feared everything that I should fear: lawsuits, lawyers, civil cases, witness testimonies, bogus medical specialists. But then I realized, I'm in India. Nobody gives a damn about this little guy and he just wants more money from the big stupid "gora."

I birdied that hole and the next one, my peace of mind completely at ease. When I got back to the club house I saw our friend, the wounded caddy, walking around without any problems. It was only once he'd seen me that suddenly that terrible limp returned. But my P.A. was also waiting.

The little guy came and said he'd gotten x-rays (in less than 30 minutes) and that there was tendon damage (he must have had an MRI too). My P.A. asked him, in Marati, "Which doctor, where?" to which he responded, "He'd forgotten." He was gonna be just ok, in fact he'd made an extra 100 rupees just for a little bruise. While what happened wasn't my fault, if I was in America the club and myself probably would have been sued. I avoided all that hassle for $8 dollars - Alanis Morrisette was right - thank you India!

edwardseco · May 28th, 2007, 03:31

You and Gerald Ford..

PeakXV · May 28th, 2007, 05:16

I would have done what Tiger Woods does when he plunks somebody ...... just take a ball out of your bag autograph it and present him with it - he'll just assume your some big daddy gora golf star and once he accepts it you have the upper hand in the dealings for compensation/baksheesh.

amyl · May 28th, 2007, 09:26

Quote:

as evocative as the best European Footballer.

perfect analogy.

Quote:

I feared everything that I should fear: lawsuits, lawyers, civil cases, witness testimonies, bogus medical specialists. But then I realized, I'm in India

When I had hit(for perfectly valid reasons) a taximan in Mumbai.....with my hands not with any ball/stick....and finally took him to a police station and eventually had reveled my identity and the place of stay in Mumbai I had imagined the worst..albeit am an Indian and was in India. I expressed my worries to the constable who accompanied me back from the station... "what if that guy tomorrow gets some of his friends with some nice lethal weapons and charge in at my stay and kind of take revenge"... the constable was in loud laughter...."hey.....do not worry....he is just a street thug...he has no guts to do anything like that. Just relax" But that did not ease me much and I only hoped what he said comes out true and the taximan does not do anything stupid in vengeance.

But sometimes I fear the most at such public incidents. And (y)our fears are well justifiable. Sometimes, as these cases, we just come out safe with no hassles but it MAY pound on us.
I have always controlled my punches and kicks on such incidents fearing all that drama from the victim. I certainly do not look like one who can hit anyone...by both...my physique and my innocent face

but I do hurt ppl for justifiable reasons. This taximan had feared/expressed loss of hearing in his right ear. Tho I wud credit this to that other guy from the street who joined me.

Familyonthemove · May 28th, 2007, 11:37

Nicely written Trin Trin .... made me smile on a Monday morning.

I'm in the office before 9:00 again ... and alone as usual!

You should have tried just saying 'sorry' .... the girl who rammed the back of my car with her scooter seemed to think that was enough - as she said 'sorry' and just rode off. But she was pretty ... so what the heck!

Nick-H · May 28th, 2007, 12:08

Four? Hole? In what kind of language do either of those translate into you are about to be hit on the head hard by something? Weird language, both US and Indian... What do they shout in England? Knowing the English knack (especially among the traditionally upper classes) for obscurity, something like "Roses!" wouldn't surprise me!

Anyone who is wandering around a golf course, especially on what you guys call the fairway, is in a naturally dangerous place, and they should watch out. A professional, particularly, must be aware that if he doesn't watch out he's likely to be thumped.

There is a maxim in English law ---Hey! I even remember (I think) the Latin for it, Volenti non fit injuria?--- that says that if you put yourself in a risky situation then you can't grumble if you get hurt.

Seems to me that this guy's negligence was greater than yours.

Humanitarian concerns, however, are another thing altogether...

But why did the guy limp if he'd been hit on the head?

dzibead · May 28th, 2007, 12:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick-H

There is a maxim in English law ---Hey! I even remember (I think) the Latin for it, Volenti non fit injuria?--- that says that if you put yourself in a risky situation then you can't grumble if you get hurt.

Correct! Very impressive, Counselor! Even in plaintiff-friendly California this rule applies (called "assumption of the risk"), particularly in the context of athletic activity (which golf arguably is, although that's debatable in my opinion.

) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assumption_of_risk

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick-H

But why did the guy limp if he'd been hit on the head?

He was hit below the knee. Pay attention, Counselor, or you’ll confuse the jury.

mridula · May 28th, 2007, 12:51

But Nick he was not hit on the head but on calf ... that is what I think I read.

mridula · May 28th, 2007, 12:52

Dzibead and I posted together. I am not repeating what he already said

praks · May 28th, 2007, 13:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by amyl

When I had hit(for perfectly valid reasons) a taximan in Mumbai.....with my hands not with any ball/stick.....

Never, ever, ever, hit anybody or get physically violent, however right you may be or whatever be the provocation. You will simply turn a civil dispute into a criminal one with unwanted consequences.

The best thing to do is to show your willingness towards going to the police and subsequent litigation. Even if you are averse to this, pretending otherwise works.

In certain areas of Mumbai there are scamsters who will fall onto your vehicle, pretend to get hurt and ask for on the spot compensation, urged on by his/her friends who garner public support and put pressure on you. This has happened to me twice. Both the times I asked the 'victims' to accompany me to the police station and file a complaint against me. Showing my willingness towards going to the police and long drawn out litigation worked and neither of the 'victims' took any action againt me. According to some people I know, these scamsters make a couple of thousand Rupees everyday out of gullible, unsuspecting drivers.

Nick-H · May 28th, 2007, 13:37

Maybe I'm trying to confuse the jury

OK... I think I got it confused with a different brief. Err... thread.

That memory came from school days --- but I did enjoy the subject.

ba9rn · May 28th, 2007, 14:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick-H

Four? Hole? In what kind of language do either of those translate into 'you are about to be hit on the head hard by something?'

It's Fore, not Four - not that this small fact answers your question!

No idea where 'Hole' became the word of choice, but here's the explanation of 'Fore'... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fore_%28golf%29

dzibead · May 28th, 2007, 14:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick-H

Maybe I'm trying to confuse the jury

Heh. Old legal saying: When the facts are on your side, argue the facts. When the law is on your side, argue the law. When neither the law nor the facts are on your side, argue like hell.

Thank, ba9rn. I always wondered about that "Fore!" business. Always seemed like one of those weird things that fox-hunters shout.

nosianai · May 28th, 2007, 15:09

Quote:

In certain areas of Mumbai there are scamsters who will fall onto your vehicle....

Intersting. I guess some people aren't too upset if you hit them by car or bike - for the very same reason. That happened to us some years ago in Bangalore. Empty stretch of road. Going by bike. Mother with two kids standing at the side of the road waiting to cross. Not moving. As soon as we are close enough to fake an accident, one of the kids jumped. yeah, he jumped in front of our bike. couldn't stop so we "ran him over" which means he had a bruise on his arm.

Instant mob gathering. i never even thought that we might have hit that bugger. all i thought was 'don't take off the helmet, don't take of the helmet' as all those very genuinely concerned ppl closed in on us.

The father who presumably interrupted his daily noon drinking session accompanied us to the doctor, carrying his son in his arms. Note how the injury spreads from arm to basically every part of the poor mangled body. We footed the bills for all sort of weird medical tests. The doctor emerged and confirmed what everybody already knew: boy was fine. The father got really pissed. Time to get a second opinion. He told the doctor that this couldn't possibly be a valid diagnosis. That was the time the doctor rose in my esteem as he said: the boy's fine. All he needs is soap and water!

The father tried to extort more money from us (up to this point the only beneficiary was the hospital) by telling us that it was necessary for him to go to his native place now with that kid. But we had the support of the hospital staff who by now had noticed that this guy was all about the money. As soon as he realized the whole accident thing had been a waste of time, he stopped carrying around his son. Poor boy. I think those must have been the only few hours of his life his father took active interest in him. As we were about to drive off, the kid's father even tried to snatch our bike keys. I guess it just wasn't his day.

Of course we learnt from that. if we ever run over anyone again we'll do the only sensible thing: run! And stop at the next police station. Don't want to deal with those buggers. i guess that's one of the reasons why there are so many hit-and-runs.

@Trin Trin

As that guys limp increased, you should've smacked him. Some people are in need for a brief interaction with reality.

Nick-H · May 28th, 2007, 18:39

Thanks Ba9rn.

Fore, as the opposite to Aft, seems very natural to me as a sailor. But, if the guy was about to be struck from behind, seems an odd choice of word.

Anyway. If I do ever happen to be on a golfcourse, and I hear someone shout 'Fore!' --- I'll remember to look behind me

.

May 28th, 2007, 02:18	#1
TrinTrin Somebody be my friend! Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 152	India, not so bad? How I almost killed someone, but didn't. So today, being Sunday, a day when no one picks up the phone, writes emails, or wants to meet I gave up on work and went to the Country Club. I doubled the first hole, parred the second, trippled the third whole and bogied the forth. My problem was clear, my drives were just not clean. So on the fifth I meditated on my feelings about India and my business partners, which you all know about by now. I used that aggression to grip the club and make contact with the ball. Amazingly the ball went straight down the left side of the fifth fairway. Being in India however, the karma was instant. I noticed as my ball was still soaring past 220 yards that one of the caddies had perched himself on the left hand side of the fairway (something they do to avoid walking extra distance, they hand you your driver for the next hole, and walk off, rather than joining you in the tee box they move straight onto the next holes fairway). While he was at least 260 yards away from me I could see he was not paying attention at all. In fact I could see he was looking off into the distance, as many do here, contemplating something I just don't understand. My gut reaction, being American, is to yell "Four," a warning signal that you give when your ball is about to ruin someone else's day. But in India the etiquiette is to yell, "hole." So I initially went to say "four," but setteled on "hole" losing that critical instant to warn him in time. He heard me, and my caddy shout, and woke from his trance managing to hop, but not move in a lateral direction. His hop was ill fated and the ball struck him directly without bouncing. Where? I could not be sure. The poor little guy went right down. My initial reaction was to panic, call for help, run, shout anything. I had great humanitarian concern for this little guy, whom I didn't even know. My foresome, was unconcerned and proceeded to tee off their own drives, but I was determined to get to the little guy immediately. I found him on the ground clutching the area right below his knee with another guy rubbing the bruise. My initial reaction was somewhat relief, I'd feared I'd hit his head. I could see the bruise already forming on his little calf muscle. "Shall we call and ambulance?" I said concerned. When he saw that I, a Gora had struck him, his wound became more painful. He suddenly tried walking, as if to show me, that I'd crippled him with my Taylor Made R5. His grimace was as evocative as the best European Footballer. Then the Indian's I was playing with arrived. "Give him 300 bucks (rupees)bucks and take your next shot." This seemed entirely immoral to me. But, not wanting to offend anyone I gladly handed the money over. The caddy took the money willingly and then gave me another look of shere pain. I called two people: my P.A. who is the largest and scariest Indian anyone has ever seen, and my lawyer. I feared violent reprisal, oh I was such a gullible gora. My lawyer said, "not to worry" and my P.A. said, "I'll be there in ten minutes - no problem." But deep down inside I feared everything that I should fear: lawsuits, lawyers, civil cases, witness testimonies, bogus medical specialists. But then I realized, I'm in India. Nobody gives a damn about this little guy and he just wants more money from the big stupid "gora." I birdied that hole and the next one, my peace of mind completely at ease. When I got back to the club house I saw our friend, the wounded caddy, walking around without any problems. It was only once he'd seen me that suddenly that terrible limp returned. But my P.A. was also waiting. The little guy came and said he'd gotten x-rays (in less than 30 minutes) and that there was tendon damage (he must have had an MRI too). My P.A. asked him, in Marati, "Which doctor, where?" to which he responded, "He'd forgotten." He was gonna be just ok, in fact he'd made an extra 100 rupees just for a little bruise. While what happened wasn't my fault, if I was in America the club and myself probably would have been sued. I avoided all that hassle for $8 dollars - Alanis Morrisette was right - thank you India!

May 28th, 2007, 05:16	#3
PeakXV Naan.tering Nabob Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Abode of Glooscap Posts: 5,881	I would have done what Tiger Woods does when he plunks somebody ...... just take a ball out of your bag autograph it and present him with it - he'll just assume your some big daddy gora golf star and once he accepts it you have the upper hand in the dealings for compensation/baksheesh. __________________ What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us. ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

May 28th, 2007, 12:51	#8
mridula Sair Kar Duniya Ki Galib , Jindagani Fir Kahan ... Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 2,587	But Nick he was not hit on the head but on calf ... that is what I think I read. __________________ Mridula Travel Tales from India

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May 28th, 2007, 03:31	#2
edwardseco Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Land that shakes and bakes. Posts: 5,843	You and Gerald Ford..

May 28th, 2007, 11:37	#5
Familyonthemove Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: On the move Posts: 321	Nicely written Trin Trin .... made me smile on a Monday morning. I'm in the office before 9:00 again ... and alone as usual! You should have tried just saying 'sorry' .... the girl who rammed the back of my car with her scooter seemed to think that was enough - as she said 'sorry' and just rode off. But she was pretty ... so what the heck!

May 28th, 2007, 12:08	#6
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,213	Four? Hole? In what kind of language do either of those translate into you are about to be hit on the head hard by something? Weird language, both US and Indian... What do they shout in England? Knowing the English knack (especially among the traditionally upper classes) for obscurity, something like "Roses!" wouldn't surprise me! Anyone who is wandering around a golf course, especially on what you guys call the fairway, is in a naturally dangerous place, and they should watch out. A professional, particularly, must be aware that if he doesn't watch out he's likely to be thumped. There is a maxim in English law ---Hey! I even remember (I think) the Latin for it, Volenti non fit injuria?--- that says that if you put yourself in a risky situation then you can't grumble if you get hurt. Seems to me that this guy's negligence was greater than yours. Humanitarian concerns, however, are another thing altogether... But why did the guy limp if he'd been hit on the head?

May 28th, 2007, 12:52	#9
mridula Sair Kar Duniya Ki Galib , Jindagani Fir Kahan ... Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 2,587	Dzibead and I posted together. I am not repeating what he already said

May 28th, 2007, 13:37	#11
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,213	Maybe I'm trying to confuse the jury OK... I think I got it confused with a different brief. Err... thread. That memory came from school days --- but I did enjoy the subject.

May 28th, 2007, 18:39	#15
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,213	Thanks Ba9rn. Fore, as the opposite to Aft, seems very natural to me as a sailor. But, if the guy was about to be struck from behind, seems an odd choice of word. Anyway. If I do ever happen to be on a golfcourse, and I hear someone shout 'Fore!' --- I'll remember to look behind me .