Wednesday 10 April 2013

I = Indiscipline


My previous post talked about my hometown – Allahabad. I am continuing my complain spree about the city. Indiscipline or simply lack of civic & common sense is rushing in the blood veins of the local residents.
I would not reiterate the horrendous way of driving people has adapted here. Traffic rules, traffic sign and indicators of vehicles act as mere showpieces. The person who is driving in front of you can suddenly decide to turn either left or right or even stop at the middle of the road. After this he would even stare you for your ignorance about reading his mind regarding the turn of his vehicle. This terrible driving sense is common in many other parts of India as well.
But here, I want to highlight a different issue which I came across. I went to withdraw money from the Automatic Teller Machine placed in our local market place in Allahabad. I saw a small crowd at the gate of the ATM. From the glass door, I could see more than required number of people inside hovering over the screen of that ATM. I thought that it might have got dysfunctional and turned back to leave from there. My dad was accompanying me. He asked me the reason of hasty retreat and then said this machine is perfectly fine and this is a common scenario in almost every ATM of Allahabad.
No queues….people jostling to enter the cubicle…..apart from the person who is operating his/her account in that machine, there would be many other random people lurking on his/her head. Few are actually waiting for their chance but I was startled when a couple of boys told me that they are just chilling off  as there is an Air-conditioner switched on. I was not able to digest this indiscipline at all…and promptly rushed to the branch of the bank situated next to the ATM. I put forward my complain to one of Customer service representative who looked at me as if I had asked him to take off his clothes!!.
Then, after sometime when he understood what I am saying, he sent a security guard to shoo off the unwanted people from that ATM. It worked for exactly 5.86 minutes and the situation went back to square one after that. I had altercation with couple of people when I insisted on forming a queue and then entering the cubicle alone. They blamed me of wasting their precious time!!
I can never ever imagine of this kind of indiscipline and chaos in Gurgaon, not even in older part of the city. I have seen many unmanned ATM as well where no one has to prompt anybody to form a queue but people by default wait for their turn standing outside the ATM.
What can I call it….Allahabad’s typical nonchalant attitude which resists any new change to its core!

16 comments:

  1. Letter I has put up some intriguing posts. Interesting to read about ATMs in Allahabad. The cubile for an ATM was quite fascinating as there are no cubicles here n NZ for ATMs.

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    1. Gosh...I don't what it would have been if no cubicles set up is there in Alld :)

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    2. Now where did that first line come from???

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  2. Occupying an ATM to enjoy the AC!! My God!! :|

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  3. Somethings never change! I lived in Allahabad for a short time long agoand looks time has stood still:)

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  4. ATM for AC. summer is hot cant blame :P
    jokes apart good that u complained but such in disciplined blokes are all around
    jst hav to be vigilant

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  5. I enjoyed reading your post, I have had similar experiences in certain parts of Hyderabad. while driving, you never know when the person is going to take a turn - I lost my balance while driving, because of the in disciplined autos.

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  6. This happens only in India, Nibedita. I once went to an ATM in Mumbai to withdraw money. The security guard was sitting on the floor, reading a newspaper. The AC must have been the attraction. When I looked at him, surprise written all over my face, he smiled broadly, and said, "Aaiye na. Maseen chal raha hai," as if he were inviting me into his home.

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  7. Yeah...have seen it happen in metros too...anything to beat the heat. People never learn.

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  8. "Kindly adjust" attitude which i HATE. I can't even stand invasion of personal space and this kind of intrusion into security issues really irks me. What's most disconcerting is the attitude of the bank official. What more to do though?

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  9. what audacity-it surely happens only in India ; could relate to your angsts !

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  10. The bank is crazy to let this slide because it's the perfect opportunity to embezzle money! Sheesh!

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  11. Sheesh! This could be really dangerous! Glad you complained to the bank. Maybe you should write to the local newspapers and let some journo follow it up or something.

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  12. I always have a problem with the security guards at the ATM's why don't they simply stop anyone else from entering the atm.. this sometimes happens in my town too.. but I will bluntly ask them and point them to the rule that only one person inside at one time !

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  13. It worked for exactly 5.86 minutes ? 5.86 minutes? I used to wonder why they have security guards at ATM, so discipline it is, thank u for sharing Nibedita :))

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