“Take a picture with our heads peeping out of a pothole,” suggested the creative director, sitting in his air-conditioned office on MG Road (we are talking of Bengaluru aka Bangalore here).
He was willing to go to the streets, only because he was doing a series of public service campaigns in the press to educate Bangaloreans about civic sense.
That about summed up the issue.
“Know of any pothole close to your office?” I ask him.
He laughs. “I know of a pothole close to your office… it’s gaping enough to accommodate two people,” he intones.
I say, fine. But out I step on Church Street and realise the road was brimming with confidence and no potholes in sight.
I cruise Resthouse Road, Residency Road, Brigade Road, MG Road… but zilch potholes.
“Bad luck,” I tell the creative whiz when I meet him. “That pothole is filled.”
“But how?” he asks.
“Probably because the mayor had recently made an oath to rid the city of potholes.”
“Oh, really now?” asks the slightly embarrassed think tank of the ad agency.
“I have another idea. There’s this road sign saying, ‘Caution. Pothole ahead’. Why not take a picture of us against the road sign?”
“Good idea,” I trill.
But first, I thought some recce would do us a world of good (avoid embarrassment, that is).
Out I step on Old Madras Road and reach the designated spot.
Just when I had almost given up on the search, I locate the road sign. But before I could say, all’s well that end’s well, I squeak, “Where’s the pothole?”
The mayor had done his job, and robbed me of mine.
