what would u do?
I was just walking back from mylapore towards alwarpet last night..(I make it a point not to take auto or other gas guzzlers for distances up to 4kms, plus a free exercise u see) and suddenly this friend of mine calls up..
He: (shouts) “don’t u remember its my anniv”
Me: he..hee.. I was just about to call u, wink wink..
He: ellam theriyum..dont gas..if u don’t treat me with a dinner, atleast come fast and join me and my wify for free food at Kabul..
Me: ok..shall join u soon..
He: where the heck r u? how much time it will take?
Me: walking ..will be near viveka college in a few mins..
He: no..take an auto and be here in 5 mins..dont give me that walk story..
Me: both will take the same time, I shall as well walk..ok briskly..and make it to Kabul in 15 mins..
He condescendingly grunts and keeps the phone..
Now I need to really make it there asap, else this guy, one of the very impatient ones u can get, will call me another couple of times..so I walk briskly..
As I cross Isabel hospital, right on that bus stop, a bus – typical of a Pallavan (the Chennai bus) does a dual zig – probably the driver sort of half pushes both the accelerator and the brake, so u get to see both actions happening..(hey to bull with all our physics that we studied, these PTC bus drivers really defy physics so often in each trip of theirs). Mind u, all this in the middle of the road..and the rest of the traffic like autos and bikes race past between the bus stop and the bus, so u really have to be an extraordinary athlete to wade thru this zipping traffic and fling urself in to the bus correctly in the split seconds that the driver gives u..
So u may ask, whats new?? What r u up to??
Ok..let me come to the point..
At this point a middle aged person catches my attention…he tries a half cock motion towards the bus direction, I say direction because, I see that man is sort of turning his head and is moving..then I see the long white stick in his hand..oops..he is trying to follow the sound and attempt getting in to the bus..how’s this man going to wade his way thru to the bus amidst the zipping vehicles? So I rush to him involuntarily and ask him “do u want to catch this bus?” meanwhile I dance, whistle soundlessly to attract the attention of the driver or conductor of the bus, but to no avail..This man asks me whats the number? I say 12 and meanwhile the bus driver has decided to take his half leg off the brake and so moves to join the traffic ocean..luckily this man, with out knowing that the bus has moved off says to me “ illa sir, I want 12B”..oof..i sigh relief..good that this man did not notice that the bus left..good that he did not know he was surrounded by heartless careless goons..then I tell him ‘move back and lets wait. I shall tell u when I spot 12B”..hey..I told u all this happened involuntarily and that too in 3 mins. So I have 12 more mins..now suddenly Iam reminded of my impatient friend, waiting there (plus the food there..did I tell u I was hungry too by now, esp its Kabul..) Just then I notice 2 well dressed ladies in that bus stop who were there all the while but sitting and talking like nothing was happening around them..
Now, what should I do?? Knowing PTC (or any city bus service for that matter) and at night and for one specific route bus, do I wait perennially to help this deserving man?
Or do I honor my commitment of 15 mins to the restaurant to my friend, impatient one at that!
Lets forget, for a while, what I did? What would you do, tell me?? I promise this is no brain teaser or the silly forwarded joke..tell me, tell me..
He: (shouts) “don’t u remember its my anniv”
Me: he..hee.. I was just about to call u, wink wink..
He: ellam theriyum..dont gas..if u don’t treat me with a dinner, atleast come fast and join me and my wify for free food at Kabul..
Me: ok..shall join u soon..
He: where the heck r u? how much time it will take?
Me: walking ..will be near viveka college in a few mins..
He: no..take an auto and be here in 5 mins..dont give me that walk story..
Me: both will take the same time, I shall as well walk..ok briskly..and make it to Kabul in 15 mins..
He condescendingly grunts and keeps the phone..
Now I need to really make it there asap, else this guy, one of the very impatient ones u can get, will call me another couple of times..so I walk briskly..
As I cross Isabel hospital, right on that bus stop, a bus – typical of a Pallavan (the Chennai bus) does a dual zig – probably the driver sort of half pushes both the accelerator and the brake, so u get to see both actions happening..(hey to bull with all our physics that we studied, these PTC bus drivers really defy physics so often in each trip of theirs). Mind u, all this in the middle of the road..and the rest of the traffic like autos and bikes race past between the bus stop and the bus, so u really have to be an extraordinary athlete to wade thru this zipping traffic and fling urself in to the bus correctly in the split seconds that the driver gives u..
So u may ask, whats new?? What r u up to??
Ok..let me come to the point..
At this point a middle aged person catches my attention…he tries a half cock motion towards the bus direction, I say direction because, I see that man is sort of turning his head and is moving..then I see the long white stick in his hand..oops..he is trying to follow the sound and attempt getting in to the bus..how’s this man going to wade his way thru to the bus amidst the zipping vehicles? So I rush to him involuntarily and ask him “do u want to catch this bus?” meanwhile I dance, whistle soundlessly to attract the attention of the driver or conductor of the bus, but to no avail..This man asks me whats the number? I say 12 and meanwhile the bus driver has decided to take his half leg off the brake and so moves to join the traffic ocean..luckily this man, with out knowing that the bus has moved off says to me “ illa sir, I want 12B”..oof..i sigh relief..good that this man did not notice that the bus left..good that he did not know he was surrounded by heartless careless goons..then I tell him ‘move back and lets wait. I shall tell u when I spot 12B”..hey..I told u all this happened involuntarily and that too in 3 mins. So I have 12 more mins..now suddenly Iam reminded of my impatient friend, waiting there (plus the food there..did I tell u I was hungry too by now, esp its Kabul..) Just then I notice 2 well dressed ladies in that bus stop who were there all the while but sitting and talking like nothing was happening around them..
Now, what should I do?? Knowing PTC (or any city bus service for that matter) and at night and for one specific route bus, do I wait perennially to help this deserving man?
Or do I honor my commitment of 15 mins to the restaurant to my friend, impatient one at that!
Lets forget, for a while, what I did? What would you do, tell me?? I promise this is no brain teaser or the silly forwarded joke..tell me, tell me..
posted by Ananthoo @ 8:34 AM
7 Comments:
At February 05, 2006 2:22 AM,
Anonymous said…
r 2 version allowed ? one where you stay back and one where you dont ? like in the moview 12B
At February 05, 2006 8:03 AM,
Ananthoo said…
:-)
At February 08, 2006 7:24 AM,
Suresh ET said…
Hi Mr.Ananthoo, I have been in similar situations, well not exactly your bus-stop kind of situations, but the ones that test your 'not so strong' principles.
I don't drink coffee or tea or anything like that anywhere. It's sort of like my 'principle' but am not hell bent on it. When I got to my relatives' place they do at times prepare tea and place it in front of me, I make a little scene saying "I don't drink tea.."; but if they insist I don't make it a bigger scene, I rather gulp it down and end it there.
Coming back to your situation, if I were you I would have reprimanded those 2 women for their apathy and waited till the bus came. Then took an auto and rushed to your friend's place. Daggers and shields are both meant to protect you, I would never test my own dagger against my shield - I would never pit my 'principles' against each other.
And the reason why I would scold the women and still help that person get on the bus myself is to get the message across - I'm not shouting at you so that I can load the responsibility on to your shoulders and make you feel guilty about it too.
At February 08, 2006 9:00 AM,
ravptor said…
Damm, trying to figure this one out for the last 5days and yet am no close to an answer.
Engg shud be all abt teaching u this kind of stuff... :-)
At February 10, 2006 9:02 AM,
Ananthoo said…
it was like this..that guy kept pressing me to go and I had a reason too..but as I was preparing to handover that responsibilty to those ladies the bus came..actually i was saved from having to take any decision as one might guess..
but the contemplation then made me voice out here..I really thought it was shareworthy
At February 10, 2006 9:04 AM,
Ananthoo said…
no sriram - i cant be as bombastic as Rana..i wud not attempt:-)
tvserial effect - thats ur fault..u come in and comment today..if guys had poured comments on the same day, hey I wud have been forced to write rit?
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