05 October,2010 11:03 AM IST | | Ashwin Ferro
Some of the security measures in place for CWG are downright hilarious
In a bid to maintain high security here during the CWG, the police have taken the issue to ridiculous heights.
Sample these:
On the evening of the opening ceremony, the cops refused to let in two Indian athletes, who missed the bus and were late in joining the rest of the contingent inside the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, through a particular gate as "that particular gate was only meant for spectators and not athletes."u00a0
Yesterday when one of the mediamen began whistling while being frisked at the entrance of the Pragati Maidan that houses the Main Press Centre, the inspector manning the post snapped, "Shhh ufffd no whistling." On asking why, the cop replied, "Public place ufffd sensitive area." The scribe left laughing in the cop's face.
A senior police official manning the entrance to Centre Court of the R K Khanna tennis stadium here issued a diktat, "No drinking water/bottles to be allowed inside the stadium". As a result, a lady volunteer soon fainted because of the soaring temperature. Needless to say, the cops refused to amend the rule.
Bus karo
The cops have been asked to check every bus that enters any of the CWG venues. While there is nothing wrong with this, it's absolutely ridiculous when they enter the buses at most venue gates and re-check the accreditation of passengers, who have only minutes earlier been physically frisked while boarding the same bus.
u00a0
Even the buses are not spared. All buses are first checked at the entrance of the venue, with a cop holding a mirror underneath checking for bombs while another opens the boot area and checks the driver's credentials. Then it is checked once again before leaving the venue, again a third time when it is about to enter the Pragati Maidan complex.
