Ootty  

The most celebrated of the Indian hill stations. At the foot of the hill at coonoor on 30th march 2013 early morning,a toy train -a gay little blue painted trundle train, which took us indefatigably puffing and chugging up through the forest and tea gardens to the town of Ootty.When I arrived Ootty for last time before seven or eight years it was a town magically reduced in scale but now Ootty has grown up more.For this journey we avoided self Driving and arranged a Toyota Innova and started on 29th march 2013 early morning from Trivandrum.We took Thrissur- palakkad- Coimbattoor-mettupalayam  route and reached Coonoor by 5 in the evening and took three rooms for our three families. Next day morning we reached Ooty by train from Coonoor .Most of the tour loving people have visited Ootty several times so I am not describing Oootty. By evening we covered almost all places in Ootty .Finally we reached Ootty lake and the game begins there.

CHEATING AT OOTTY LAKE -ROBBING TOURISTS FOR MONEY 

                                                                                We reached Ootty lake by evening, took the entrance pass and entered into another counter and took passes for pedal boats and went for rowing in the lake. Along with the pass we have to pay another amount as caution deposit since there is, a possibility for using the boat beyond the time specified by the authorities.We were handed over the boat by 4.40pm and we returned the boat by 5.10 pm,(30 minutes ) normal time allowed.When we asked to return our deposit amount,as we were in time,the officer in the counter refused claiming that we were late by ten minutes.We argued him that we were in time and to return the money. The time was running and then it became 5.30.At last we went to the office of the higher official which is little away from the counter. There a lady officer, doesn't even listened to our request and refused our money, stating that the time then is 5.50pm. As we doesn't gave up  she called the police.Two police officers came there and they inquired about the matter.We told the whole story to them and they called the man to whom we have handed over the boat. Fortunately for us he told the truth that the boat was handed over to us at 4.40 and we returned the boat in time after 30 minutes. The lady officer now turned against him and threatened to suspend him from service.

                                                              By the time the police officers got a clear picture of the incident and finally we got back our money, after a long fight for more than one and a half hours.Time is more valuable than money, you can get more money but you cannot get more time.

                                                             By 7.15pm we met another group of  students  who also lost there money for the same reason.We told them what had happened to us and send them to fight for justice.We were informed by some locals that this is a practice in the boat counter to cheat people and rob their money by signing false vouchers and sharing the money between them.

                                                            This is not a good practice since too many tourists are cheated every day and the money is looted by the people sitting in the counter and is not fair in such a great tourist place, visited by a number of tourists from all over the globe. This type of issues will spoil the reputation of our country. 
                                                             I am writing this incident here because every tourists who visit Ootty lake and rent a boat should be careful not to be cheated by these Idiots sitting there. The chance for cheating is higher here and we cannot hold sufficient proof to prove our innocence and most of the tourists give up and the robbery continues.......