Sunday, March 21, 2010

Journey into the darkness of Delhi (3) - The end of the story

(Continues from the previous posts)

Rule number one when you travel: fidarsi é bene, ma non fidarsi é meglio (to trust is good, not to trust is better).

Remember when I paid my driver and dismissed him before jumping on the policeman’s vespa? Well, consistent with rule n. one, I took that opportunity to quickly remove most of the cash from my wallet and keep in it only the change that the driver gave me back. So, when the two cops asked me how much I had in my wallet, I almost apologized showing them that, unfortunately, I didn’t have much.

When I finally left the scene, I drew a deep sigh of relief: “God willing, this night is really over…”

End of the story? Well, not completely…

A few days have passed, and still the annoyance for how that night concluded has gone away yet.

The annoyance for having suffered an abuse of power, a wrong. The annoyance for not having been able to say no, for not having been able to oppose to an abuse. For not having been able to be consistent with my principles and values.

And it little matters that, with hindsight, that has probably been the wisest decision I could take in that very moment, the best way I could handle that situation. That in the end I paid much less than if I had had to pay the fine…

In the deepest part of my heart I know I could have said no. And I didn’t. And this bothers me enormously…

6 comments:

  1. allora, dopo "fidarsi è bene... ecc" - "tutto è bene quel che finisce bene". In altri posti, non avresti trovato più la Vespa, e non avresti avuto indietro neppure il portafoglio (se non peggio). Bella avventura notturna.

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  2. Cher Matteo,

    Ce fut la bonne décision: moins cher que l'amende et encore moins cher que l'avocat!
    Belle aventure

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  3. moi aussi je crois que tu as tres bien fait et que tu as eut beaucoup de chance au final.

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  4. surtout moins cher que l'avocat!

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  5. Yeah, but don't you have a lawyer in the family?!?

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  6. that's exactly the one who wrote me how much i was ready to pay for a good lawyer...

    lawyers...

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