There was much drama and many ingenious bahanas at various points in the city as the Delhi Traffic Police (DTP) started their special drive on Wednesday to ensure women drivers and pillion riders wore helmets. DT brings you the front-row view of this entertaining drama from W point near Pragati Maidan Metro station and Minto Road, on a day when cops fined about 5,000 such offenders.

1. Unaware of any such law: Even though the drive has been in the news for the past 10 days, many protested ignorance. The traffic constables, however, didn't fall for that. A girl who was going to college with her friend, when asked to pay the challan, said, "I don't know when the law changed. Today is the first day - can't you exempt me for a day? I'll buy a helmet today." To that, the constable said, "All the females were given 10 days to buy a helmet. If you couldn't buy it in those 10 days, you won't buy it today either."

2. Hospital ja rahe hain : Several motorists who had women pillion riders without helmets chose to play the emotional card to escape a challan. Many people said they were ignorant of such a rule since they 'had been out since 6 in the morning'. A man who was challaned by the cops because his partner was not wearing a helmet said, "Subah 6 baje se hospital ke liye nikle hue hain. Newspaper ya TV bhi kaise dekhte? Yeh galat hai. Inhe thode din pehle se batana shuru karna chahiye tha."

3. Salary nahi mili hai: Others pleaded their majboori to emotionally blackmail the cops. A group of three riders, comprising two men and a girl, was caught at a red light for triple riding and riding pillion without wearing a helmet. The rider said, "We haven't got our salaries for two months. How do you expect us to ride on separate vehicles? Please don't challan us for a high amount."

4. Itne paise waale thodi na hain: A mother-son duo was caught because the woman wasn't wearing a helmet. The lady said that they weren't aware that the cops had started checking from that day. "The cops should have put out ads in print and on news channels that wearing helmets is going to be compulsory from today. " Hamare ghar mein bahut helmet hain. Hum leke chalenge saath mein kal se. Itne paise waale thodi na hain jo har traffic signal par challan bharenge ," the lady said. She was told that they wouldn't have to pay the challan at any traffic signals ahead and could show cops the challan slip.

5. Religion changed within seconds? Apart from challaning female pillion riders for not wearing a helmet, constables at W Point were also explaining what the new law says and how only Sikh women were exempted. Taking advantage of that, one of the females challaned first said, "Main bhi toh Sikh hoon, aap mera kyun challan kar rahe ho?" When she was asked to show her identity card, her brother said, "Kyun bekaar mein jhoot bol ke religion change kar rahi ho? Rs 100 ki hi baat hai, aage se nahi hoga."

6. Mere khandaan mein aadhe log ACP hain: A middle-aged man who was going to drop his daughter got quite angry when he was asked to pay challan because his daughter was not wearing a helmet. He not only refused to pay the challan, but also started swearing at the police constable for challaning him. He argued for half-an-hour for a challan of Rs 100. He said, "My daughter was wearing a helmet. She removed her helmet at the red light because her college is not even five minutes away. You can see the helmet in my scooter's dickey." The constable argued back, saying the helmet is meant to be worn on the head and not to be kept inside the dickey. The angry man, seeing no way of escaping, started recalling all his 'high-profile acquaintances'. He said, "Main yahan ke ACP ko jaanta hoon. Mere khandaan mein aadhe se zyada log police mein hain. Lekin, main unhe call nahi karunga. Main de deta hoon challan."

7. Wallet bhool gaya: It was interesting to see how dads and moms were trying to 'save' their children from being challaned. Instead of asking their kids to obey the law, they were helping them make excuses to the police. A mom who was a pillion rider without a helmet was caught in the traffic drive on Wednesday. The moment the traffic constable asked the rider to pay a fine of Rs 100 for his mother, his mom instantly said, "Iske paas wallet nahi hai. Aaj yeh wallet bhool gaya hai. Main toh yahin paas mein mandir jaa rahi thi. Isiliye mere paas bhi paise nahi hain. Aapne challan kaatna hai toh kaat lo lekin humare paas paise nahi hain abhi."

8. Dilliwallahs to the rescue: We all keep hearing about how stone-hearted Dilliwallahs are, and that they never come forward to help even if they see someone in distress, but this traffic drive threw a surprise as a couple of bikers fought with the cops when another couple was asked to pay the challan. The lady pillion rider wasn't wearing a helmet, and the couple started quarreling with the cops. The wife said, "Yeh dekhiye haath mein helmet hai. I had to make a phone call and that's why I removed the helmet." Her husband also added, "Yeh gundagardi hai. Ab koi red light par helmet thodi na pehenta hai. Phone par helmet pehne pehne koi kaise baat kar sakta hai?" He even removed his helmet and challenged the cops to challan him. Two other bikers also supported them and removed their helmets in protest and said, "He is right. One can remove their helmet if they are stuck at a red light." The cops finally let the couple go without challaning them — perhaps the effort to protect the heads of pillion riders was too much of a headache sometimes!