Fleecing the traveller

Having a very bad experience with Kolkatta taxis, during my initial visits, now I always head straight to the Pre-paid counter. During my last visit also I did the same, but the taxi driver was not happy to know the destination. Once he moved out of the airport, he is telling me, Sir I can take you through a shortcut, if you pay me 100 rupees extra. I put my foot down over the matter and told him, I have all the time in the world to reach my destination, and dont care if he takes the shortcut or the normal route. On the way, he tried many a times to tell me to get off some other place citing that he didnt know the route, but then again I stood my ground and finally he reluctantly dropped me off to my destination.
I thought this was the end of it, but had more in store ….and this time not at Kolkatta but at my home turf…ie. at Mumbai. My flight landed after 12 am, so i was quite aware that I will have to shell out night charges. Being tired I was mentally set to sit in the first cab/AC cab or autorickshaw whatever was available immediately. The first person I met was a Cool Cab driver who agreed to take me to the my home address. When I asked him to start the meter, his response was that his meter was not working and he would charge me 600 Rupees for a distance which would normally in a cool cab would have taken only 250 rupees even with night charges. I refused point blank. Got out and approached a normal taxi. Same response, I wont take you on meter, I will charge your 350!!!! I moved ahead, and was surprised to see same responses from most of the taxi drivers. I was not beginning to lose my patience and infact told one that I am not from Alibaug( a common term by most mumbaikars). There was one taxi driver who even went on to tell me….Sir I will take your from Highway which will be empty right now and not from SV Road. He is telling me..this is Mumbai saab…never sleeps in the night. I told him….tell me something I dont know!!!!
Finally I had walked all the way from the terminal to the Main Highway from where I caught a rickshaw and reached home by paying normal charges.
Since I am from Mumbai, and know the roads and the rates, I knew I was being fleeced. But I really pity people from outside who are not aware of such things :(

Sachin’s tons a jinx??? I dont think so…..

Not being much interested in IPL, I seem to have missed a master century by the Master Blaster in yesterdays match of Mumbai Indians vs Kochi Tuskers.

Today the social networking sites are full of talks about the jinx of Sachins century which ultimately result his team in not winning the match. As a matter of fact, there were so many people during the World Cup final, who were happy to see him get out without getting his 100th Century(though I am well aware…had we lost the cup the public reaction would have been different)

Coming to the point of Sachins Tons being a jinx…I enquired around …is it really true….did a bit of groundswork…and the results are as under:

Sachin has scored 48 centuries in ODI and 51 in Test matches in his tally of 99 centuries.

Out of the 48 ODI matches in which Sachin scored centuries, India has one 33 matches and lost in 15.Winning % is 68.74%

Out of the 51 test matches in which Sachin scored centuries, India won 20, Drew 20, Lost 11. Winning % is 39%, but then how many results do we get in test matches?

So the jinx discussion is wrong. So let the man be…and let him enjoy his game…….

Being part of History….Part 2, the party spoilers

Blogged about the WC 11 finals experience. But the party had its lows also. Drunken men on the road, coming out in front of the car, dancing , wanting to shake hands with all alike…
Wonder how many such cases might have occurred all over and how many actually got reported. Mumbai in particular has had its share during New Year Eve outside J W Marriot at Juhu and even during the T20 WC final celebrations on the road, when a few guys misbehaved in the crowd with a girl, resulting in the girl falling in a drench.
Holi and Ganpati are two more occasions where I have seen such people passing lewd comments and trying to act fresh.
Such party poopers are around everywhere, cant argue with them, have to use tact and move ahead.
Before ending this piece, I would like to share one interesting point told to me once…..
Why is it that a drunkard in his best of mood , call his neighbors wife “HELLO DARLING”, but at the same time if he sees his mother or wife, will fold his hands or put his fingers on the lips and say “SHHHH….I am ok”. If he can recognize his mother or wife, what makes him forget the tact that he should be knowing the neighbors wife also??

Being part of History

Yes it was nothing less than being part of History being made. India winning the ICC World Cup 2011. It was during Holi, that our building people started having a discussion of seeing India Pakistan Match together. At that stage no one was sure, if they will be meeting in the Quarter Finals, Semi Finals or if at all.

But we were in for a very Big Game!!!. India Pak were to clash in nothing less than Semi Finals. Our frentic efforts to get a projector screen failed, since we were making our plans at the last moment. Most screens were booked, and those who had a few left were charging exorbitant rates. So all of us sat at our individual homes cheering our Team Blue as it won the semis to enter the Finals.

The talk of watching the Final again gained a lot of momentum. One of our member offered his 42 inch LCD, I offered my Sound system, one more offered his cable connection from his first floor flat. And all this just on the morning of the finals, a good 2 hours away from the toss. What to say, the idea was accepted like fire and we were all set in a few hours. Chairs were brought in from various flats, popcorn, colddrinks, bhel, etc…whatever one could get flowed through out the matches.

At the start of the game we were around 20-25 odd people, but the national anthem set the mood, when all of us stood along with the crowd at the stadium, ending the national anthem with shouts of Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata ki jai. Young and old alike, we all sat for seeing History in making. By the end of the match the crowd had grown to over 100 people.

The re-toss itself was a reason for us to raise our voices, shreesants bowling, jaheer khans 3 maidens, Tendulkar coming to bowl on a Mumbai pitch, everything was going crazy, every dot ball being cheered, every wicket being shouted at, whistles, dhols, daflis, horns.

The lowest point of the match was Tendulkar getting out immediately after Shewag got out. Silence. It was like everything had collapsed. But no, not a single person moved out. The general consensus was, if we are going down, better go down fighting. And then started Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli’s innings. The situation was that even their singles were being greeted by the loudest cheer. One of the member announced that in this world cup, Gambhir is due for a good inning, Virat is due for a good inning….but DHONI IS OVER-DUE!!!!!!

And overdue Dhoni was, when he walked out to bat there was a collective shout of expletives, as to why he didnt send Yuvraj. But the overdue was paid with lots of goodies along and Dhoni finally managed to play a Captains Knock in the all important game. During the last over, most of the elders didnt even get to see Dhoni hit the winning six, because all the people had already jumped out of their seats and were standing right in front of the tv screen.

And the celebrations…..Koli style dancing in circle, shouting WORLD CUP …..WORLD CUP……exhalting in front of the TV screen to Dhoni…..that was a scene to see, and will always remain in my mind for ever….the kids were bowing to Dhoni’s Image on the screen…..everybody was so happy……

and me?….well I was dancing on  the compound wall with the whistle in my mouth, throughout the last over, because by then we were all confident that we are going to win…i didnt see Dhoni hit the winning Six!!!!!!!!

The victory celebrations later spilled on the roads, with all being packed in 4 cars with the tricolour and shouts of Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata ki Jai!!!!!!

Dear Mr. Finance Minister

Sir,
I was listening to your budget speech and was not able to control myself from swearing out loud when you said that the Refund process is been made faster and simpler.
My wife is waiting for her Income Tax refunds of more than 5 assessment years. I have personally been following up with the department since more than 7 months now and have been able to get only refund till date.
This week I had the opportunity to sit with the Officer for more than 2 hours and the experience brought back memories of my travails over the past 7 months. The system is very clear. A person who comes asking for his refund the very first time is heard, his data checked and sent back saying that the refund will be released after a month. A person who comes back after a month is told that the refund should have come out by now, since it hasnt, it is better to put in a request in writing. On followup after giving the request in writing, the papers which are stored in “Bundles” are to be found. After one more visit to the Department, the Bundle is found, and the papers are found to be “Missing”. Next step is file an affidavit. Once the affidavit is filed, the person is again asked to come back after a week or so. During all these visits, I am not accounting the number of times the peon or the officer is not to be found on the table. Finally after a year the refund is released, if at all.
Btw…let me clarify, I am still to receive the refunds. The receipt of refund experience I am sharing of others.
Sir, you have not made e-filing mandatory for quick and easy refund. But even after e-filing the papers are still to be couriered to the Department in some place of our Country…as far as I know..to Bangalore.
These e-filing data’s are not “available” to the Income Tax officer for reasons best known to the department. My wifes last years returns are still not being shown on his computer, inspite of filing the returns electronically.
So all in all, some loophole is still there in the latest system also.
Yes I had the opportunity to visit an Higher Authority last week. He was very helpful. He has asked me to write a letter to the Department. So my saga continues………

Yours faithfully
A Citizen of India who is paying is Taxes so that your Department people can draw their salaries as per 6th Pay Commission

Jai Hind