City Pulse

He calls himself the ‘Third Eye’ and he also has one! However, the third eye here is a pivot head camera which records Bengaluru’s traffic violators.

An anonymous Bengaluru techie, who operates twitter handle @3rdEyeDude, is creating ripples on social media. He is famous for capturing traffic violators with his pivot head camera (sunglasses with a discreetly placed camera) and later uploading the videos on You Tube and tagging the traffic police.

However, like most super heroes, he too wants to keep his identity a secret. The reason could also be that he is receiving ‘hate’ from many ‘probable traffic violators,’ which could be seen in the comments.

However, Team IChangeMyCity managed to have an email interview with Third Eye, on condition that his anonymity is maintained.

It all started around two years ago, when Third Eye was hit by three men for telling them not to honk near a hospital. The signal was red and the three motorists were on a honking spree, in spite of knowing that they are not allowed to move. When Third Eye questioned their irresponsible attitude, they pushed him to the ground and tossed his bike keys away. He then lodged a complaint against the attackers but no action was taken.

This incident made him decide that he needs a camera while he is on the road. “A camera is handy when it comes to personal safety and also provides proof in case of mishaps,” he says. When he checked online, he came across the Pivot Head camera. “I thought to go for a Go Pro, but then the camera is mounted on a helmet and people will come to know I am recording and it will capture unnecessary attention. Hence, I ordered the pivot head sunglasses online,” he says. 

The idea to start the Youtube Channel “Bad drivers of Bengaluru” took shape when he came across a similar post named “Bad drivers of California”. Since that day, Third Eye is on a mission on making Bengaluru’s streets safe. His Youtube Channel has videos that have captured helmetless riders, people using mobile phones while riding, lane discipline violators, motorists on footpath and also a few minor road mishaps. One of his videos has gone viral with more than 20 lakh views. 

Over 500 violations reported on Public Eye and Twitter

Third Eye uploads his recordings on Twitter and tags Bengaluru Traffic Police. He also uses the Public Eye App and has posted over 500 violations on Public Eye and Twitter. 

There has been a huge attitude change, he says and adds that many have become appreciative of his work. “The Bengaluru Traffic Police are interactive and take my every tweet and complaint seriously. Special thanks to Additional Commissioner of Police – Traffic, Mr. R Hitendra,” he acknowledges. 

Third Eye says he receives a mix of positive as well as negative reactions on his channel. Many claim that his videos have inspired them to turn into responsible drivers. Some have started their own Youtube channels such as Bangalore Batman, which posts videos of traffic violations. On the flip side, some post negative and derogatory comments, but nothing deters him from continuing with his efforts.

However, he still prefers to remain anonymous. “You never know, I would bump into someone who hates me for posting videos online or for lodging complaints”, he says.

Finally, when asked to give Bengalureans a message, he kept it simple, “Drive safely and responsibly”.