As one made it past the Sewa Nagar flyover, and parked behind an outsized Army truck, there were frantic sirens from behind. That was the pilot car calling attention to the plight of the First Passenger. But the Army truck didn't budge.

So the police let the traffic go before the First Car could get a move on. Only to halt at the Andrews Ganj crossing. Amidst much blowing of the horn, there was some movement. A policeman caught sight of the car and began waving frantically. Not at the President surely, it only seemed that way. With nearly 30 cars stuck before him, even the First Citizen must wait his turn. Finally, the Delhi Police did the unthinkable. The traffic moved on straight ahead and the President's car was flagged to a stop on the right. For the President it couldn't have been much of a way to spend his 79th birthday.