Posted on 05/04/2007 1:24:48 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
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Mumbai May 3: This is an unimaginable sight on a street off Eastern Express Highway in suburban Chembur where a 75-ft-long Boeing 737 is stranded for the past four days.
The plane - actually what is left of it is the fuselage -- has been scrapped by Air Sahara, and has been reportedly sold to a buyer in Delhi, to be put up in an aviation academy.
Its wing and other parts have been already dismantled, but the fuselage is being taken to Delhi on a trailer, the task undertaken by city-based Universal Transporters.
Its journey from the city airport began ten days ago. On Sunday, the driver of the trailer asked somebody for the directions to reach Mumbai-Pune Highway.
He was misled, and the trailer ended up on the road near Duke's factory in suburban Chembur.
The driver realised he had lost his way, but he found himself at point of no return, literally. He could not turn the trailer around.
So the Boeing got stranded, to the irritation of shopkeepers and residents along the street. Realising that there is no way to get the Boeing off the street, the driver and two men accompanying him fled.
Local residents are not at their wit's end, trying to figure the way out for the Boeing.
"We have asked the transporter to move the trailer from the spot, and would also be taking action against the company for not informing the police regarding the plane's road journey," deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Harish Baijal told PTI.
Baijal added that transporters who ferry such large cargo are bound to inform the traffic police about its movements, which was not done in this case.
Sunday surprise
Restaurant owner Ramji Thapar is one of the puzzled residents of the Chembur area of the city.
He woke up Sunday morning to find the aircraft on a giant trailer abandoned on the road.
"Saturday night I shut shop and go home and everything is fine," he told the BBC news website.
"Sunday morning when I get here, this aircraft is here near my restaurant!"
The fuselage of the decommissioned aircraft, with the engine, wings and tail removed, was being taken by road to the capital Delhi late on Saturday night.
Reports say it was supposed to be used at a flight training academy.
The plane has become the centre of attraction with people coming from all over the city to take a look.
"I've been fascinated with planes and never seen one so closely," engineering student Vamsi Shastri said. "It's huge!"
His friend Ankur Rane said, "It's fascinating to see an airplane on the roads when one is only used to seeing cars and auto rickshaws."
No joke
However, for Pradeep Malhotra, who runs a catering service in the area, the plane has become a huge problem because it is parked right in front of his shop.
"My work is suffering because the food cannot be loaded in the big vehicles," he said.
"I have to load it in the smaller vans and then carry them to the bigger ones parked at the back.
"I don't know how they are going to take it out because you can't reverse it, its too big, and you can't go further down the road."
Some residents said they had not complained simply because they assumed that the authorities would be making it a priority to get the plane out of the city.
Five days on, it is still not clear who is responsible for the aircraft and its transfer to Delhi.
PTI/BBC
Ping!
So, flying it out is out of the question.
Does the transporter have reverse?
I don’t know where, but I’ve heard of people making boats out of these things. Atleast from the looks, they seemed pretty slick!
Ping
Sounds like they should just leave it there and invite Al Qaida to train on it. They did in Iraq and to this day most of the world still denies it.
Well, given that Al Qeada and other Islamofascists have killed thousands of Hindu innocents just like they murder Jews and Christians, I don’t think the Indians would be to keen on your idea.....
Just a thought....
It would make one heck of a diner..
Wow, people can still read this thread even though it was kicked out of all categories of FR.
Re #9
Why? What was the problem?
I suppose that it was viewed as an non-important item with no discernable political content.
Oh, okay.
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