Everything Happens

Everything Happens
Under The Table

Monday, April 26, 2010

The Bus Conductor Tries to Cheat You...

I dropped off Jenna at the Indra Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi at around 11:00pm. When she confirmed that she got through the check in and immigration, I set my course towards Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi to catch a bus to Jaipur.
The best option was the DTC Bus which runs from International Airport to Domestic Airport and drives by Dhaula Kuan as it heads for ISBT (Inter State Bus Terminal).
I was the first one to enter the bus. I asked the driver, when was the bus going to start moving and what was the fair. He told me I had to wait until 11:30pm before the bus starts and the bus fair is Rs.50/-. It was Rs.50/- for anywhere except Domestic Airport for which the fair was Rs.25/-.
When the ticket collector started giving the tickets, I was on a phone call and I gave him 50 bucks. He returned me Rs.25/- back but didn't give me the ticket. I got an idea what was going on his mind. If he doesn't give me the ticket, those 25 bucks goes to his pocket and I only have to pay for half the ticket. And it was midnight, so there were hardly any chances that some senior authority would come in for checking for tickets.

And I truly believe,


I want either less Corruption... Or more opportunity to participate in it!!

So I let it be. But then we reached Domestic airport. The conductor started calling for people who were getting off at Domestic Airport. The driver turns around and asked me, "You're getting off at Dhaula Kuan (which was the next station) right?" I answered yes and the conductor heard our conversation. He looks at me and said, "How much did u pay earlier?" I told him I paid 25 and slowly told him that I didn't get the ticket. Driver tells him that he told me earlier that the ticket was for Rs.50/-. So I took out other 25 when the conductor started collecting the fair again. I was sitting in the very front of the bus with the money in my hand bus he didn't ask me for it and moved on. So I thought he was smart. But he wasn't after a while he specially came back for me and asked me for rest of the money. I gave it to him. But I had no intentions to let him have all the money without giving me the ticket. As I said, I want either less Corruption or more opportunity to participate in it. I asked him for the ticket and told him he hadn't giving me one earlier either. He said okay and went to the front. After a while he came back to return someone's change. I asked him again about the tickets. He said he'll give it to me and didn't give it to me AGAIN!! Now this was pissing me off.
Now I'm a very peaceful kind and liberal kind of a person. So I let people do anything they are up to as long it doesn't harm me. But this isn't one of those days. I decided I wanted no corruption in this case. 5mins before my station came, I went and stood after him. There was another guy standing in between me and the conductor. I tapped the conductor on the shoulder and asked him for the ticket. He tells me its okay and I don't need one anymore. He almost made me laugh and I couldn't believe I was doing this caz usually I let it go. But I move forward a lil and asked him clearly while the other passenger was listening, "So is ALL the money going in your pocket?" He didn't reply to it and just ignored me. And I don't like being ignored. So I asked him again while the bus was already slowly down for my station, "Are you going to give the ticket or..."
Before I could even complete my sentence, he turned around and gave me the ticket for Rs.50/- and gave me a dirty look as if I robbed him on gun point!! LoL!! I took the tickets as I was getting off the bus. I got off, turned around, look right into his eyes with a smile and tore the ticket right in front of him n threw it away. And his expression was like he got slapped right in the face. LMAO!! And I slowly walked into the other direction as the bus moved on.

Friday, April 23, 2010

It takes you 4hrs to submit a passport renewal form...

I reached the Jaipur Passport Office 9:30am in the morning and joined the line. By the time I got my turn after spending all the time outside in the heat, it was 11:30pm. The guy named K.M.Meena checked my document. Now, he is one of the most rude and misbehaving government official I have met lately. He told me to get an affidavit made which was required to get my passport renewed. As I haven't really dealt with any sort of legal documentation, I curiously asked him how and where is it made. He was going thru other guy's documents now and he literally kept his docs back on the table and looked right at me and in his most rudest tone said, "What makes you think I'll tell you about the details?" and asked me to leave. I swear to god I almost spit in his face. I went running and got the affidavit made from about a kilometer away from the office. I got back 12.00noon. There was still a line of about a hundred people. There was no point of me standing in the end as I got all the documents checked and I just had to show him the new document. So I went upto him and showed him that. The rude bastard tells me, "Who asked you to cut thru the line and stand in front?" I almost pissed on him after he said this. But I controlled the emotions. I stood at the end of the line again and waited for another 30mins before I could get my documents checked. When I got my turn, I let one of the person you had his docs checked, he just got there for rechecking. When he got done, I told K.M.Meena that the other guy cut the line but you didn't do anything about it. He said I should have told him about it. To which I replied, "I didn't have anything against him sir and its fair to cut the line if you have already got your docs checked once or else its really rude of you to make the person stand in the end of the line." That shut him up and he easily approved my document. The moment he gave me my documents back, I asked him quite sarcastically and straight forward, "What's your full name?" He thought something is wrong and I might be from media or something or I must have some contacts that could put him in trouble. He didn't reply me the first time and tried to ignore me. So I said, "You didn't tell me your name." He very politely (unlike his normal rude tone) said K.M.Meena. And I very sarcastically replied, "Meena! Okay." FYI: Meena are scheduled caste people in India who have a lot of reservations for government job under SC (schedule caste)/ST (Scd tribe)/OBC (Other Backward Classes) Quota. That put him in his place and I left happily from there.
Contrary to this, the other official on the other counter who submitted my form was really polite and helpful. So in the end of the day, I finally submitted my form in one day. I have heard it sometimes takes a couple of few days to go thru these Indian Government Offices. I think it wasn't too bad in the end but the government employees in this country need to learn to be more polite.