Cyclone Vardah gives Chennaiites several selfie moments

CHENNAI: Despite an advisory by the Tamil Nadu government asking residents to refrain from venturing outside as cyclone Vardah made landfall on Monday, many Chennaiites thronged the Marina Beach seeking a piece of the cyclonic action and clicked selfies.
Youngsters and families with children and infants were spotted fighting the gusts on Marina Beach. A few youngsters ignored the warning of traffic cops posted on the Kamarajar Salai and entered the service lane of the beach on their vehicles.
"I have been trying to control the situation all by myself since 6.30am," a traffic cop posted near the Gandhi statue told TOI. "Visitors keep coming but we don't let them venture close to the shore. They don't do it out of fear also as the tidal waves have been high due to the cyclone," the cop added.
K Sivaprasad of Abhiramapuram, who was with a group of friends at the beach, told TOI that they wanted to "experience the cyclone."
A little farther away, on the Napier's Bridge, several groups stopped to take in the seawater flushing backwards into the Cooum. Many were clicking selfies from the edge of the bridge and police personnel present at the spot did not discourage them.
On the North Beach Road, a group of people were spotted taking selfies with policemen on duty after pulling down a traffic signal that was dangling dangerously on the road. The cops tied a rope to it and pulled it down safely with the help of the public, before smiling for the cameras even as the gusts whipped past them with vigour.