Lets face it. Indians hate Q. I mean we hate to stand in a Queue. We prefer a ‘chess board approach’ of moving together. In any customer service, you will notice at least 4-5 people standing in front of the desk along with the person who is being serviced listening to all the conversations and transactions. This is an universal Indian phenomenon. You will notice it in all places where there should be a queue.
I do not know where the westerners learnt to stand in a line, but they do, with no display of exasperation or aggression. If you have visited any theme parks outside India, you will understand what I am talking about. People stand patiently in serpentine queues with popcorn and coke. One fall-out of long queues however is, there is more time for popcorn and coke and hence more obesity.... (a case of sour grapes)
Back home, even if there was a disorganized queue as in Airport Check-in counters, people stand so close to you, giving a totally new meaning to the term ‘Breathing on your neck’. I have devised a technique to circumvent this problem, which I am going to share with you. I keep my trolley bag right behind me to ensure the guy behind is at trolley-length and a bad breath away from me.
One should actually visit Tirupathi Temple if they want to see how a sea of people can move without standing in queues. It is a miracle. There is no line what so ever, there are only compartments. People move choc-a-block from one chamber to another. There are staff all over the place who keep saying ‘jarugandi’ and lo and behold the entire group moves. It reminds of the chambers of the heart where bad blood is collected, purified and then pumped out good. But here, in the Lord’s abode…bad come out bad.
This queueless phenomenon is also seen in other holy places like Sabarimala. Occassionally it becomes a stampede and we lose a few hundred people. Such news no more shocks us as a nation.
There is only one solution. All the Gods have to get together and say ‘Let there be a line’
Lol...lol...and what else to say but AMEN to the last line of your blog!!!
ReplyDeleteSadhana! This and many others like road rage, jumping traffic signals, giving way to Ambulance in traffic, respecting elders, civic sense as in community higene and of course the latest and hottest "Corruption" are problems plaguing our entire nation. I guess change has to start at an individual level and there is an urgent need for educating our children to bring about this change.
ReplyDeleteWe Indians are an impatient lot, don't know why the hurry is all about. It could be because of shortages everywhere;like seats in trains, water in tap, ration etc. etc.. . . finally it became a habit even when one's seat is reserved in his/her name and waiting to be occupied.
ReplyDeleteGeorge
Nice thought.... i totally agree some places we need not make an attempt to walk.. we will be pushed automatically without using any energy :)... Time to think abt "Q"......
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate to the "sea of people".when I visited Tirupathi for the first and I just couldn't handle being a fish there.It was one of the most wavering experience of my life!
ReplyDeleteThere's this story about a guy who was walking in London and suddenly decided to stop on the pavement and stare into a sop window. Before he knew it, a queue of people had formed behind patientsly waiting- for what? He had no clue ,so he slunk away and then noted the surprise on the others faces!
ReplyDelete