Blueline Buses vs Delhiites - Total Madness

Blueline Buses vs Delhiites - Total Madness

"To err is human, to blame it on someone else is politics."

In the past one year, Blueline buses in New Delhi (the local public transport system) have been involved in many accidents. The media all along has been blaming the bus drivers and conductors for the accidents and asking the government to implement stringent measures to curb the 'menace'. Blueline bus drivers and conductors, not being of the 'English' speaking variety have been unable to get their side of the story across. I have been traveling by Blueline buses for a long time now and here are details of some incidents I have witnessed -

- A senior passenger in a Blueline suddenly learns that he boarded the wrong bus. As the bus is maneuvering a roundabout outside Parliament house, he rushes to the back door of the bus and jumps off. His head smacks into the ground. The bus driver stops the bus and runs away. Police refuse to let the reserve driver start the bus. Angry passengers yell at the police saying it is not the drivers fault.

- Two youths are sitting on the pavement near Central Secretariat and arguing. The signal is red. A bus is approaching. One youth runs and lies down before the wheels of the bus as a threat to his friend. The signal turns green and the bus driver is unable to break in time. Headlines in the paper, 'The Blueline menace continues."

- Ring Road - There are plenty of underground crossings, however, two boys decide they want to dodge speeding cars. They carelessly run across the road and jump over the central barricade. They are fortunate to escape.

- Okhla - The buses are overcrowded during office hours - 9.00 am to 10.00 am. Police have impounded many buses, making the situation even worse. They are challaning (giving tickets) to every bus that has people hanging from the doors. The conductor keeps yelling to folks hanging from the doors, "andar khali padi hain, bhai, gate par khada mat hona, challan tum bharoge." (stand inside, don't hang from the door, brother, you will have to pay the challan.) People don't bother, they have to reach office on time at any cost. Suddenly, one guy gets smacked on the back as the bus passes another stationery bus.

- Lajpat Nagar Crossing - Even though there is a subway, people prefer to cross the road dangerously rather than walk the extra meter. They also get off at the signal from a moving bus to avoid the walk from the bus stop to the office. At the bus stop, people are standing right till the middle of the road so that they can spot the bus number as it arrives. A junior cop tells them to move back. They refuse and start arguing.

- Paharganj - Two middle aged men are having a blast hanging out the back door of the bus. They are chest banging each other and yelling. The conductor shouts at them to get in and behave. They refuse and continue. Suddenly, the branches of a passing tree smacks them from behind.

- Safdarjung Madarsa - A motorcyclist is driving alongside a bus. Suddenly, he decides to take a u turn. The driver swerves and brakes to avoid the biker. Lots of insults are exchanged.

- A beggar with a bottle runs and lies down under a stopped bus at a signal. The conductor gets off, drags him from under the bus and gives him two slaps.

- My real fat friend and I sprint across the road wearing high heels in front of a Blueline bus. Reaching the other side we start laughing and saying, 'Bach gaya, jaan hatheli pe rakh kar." (We escape, by the skin of our teeth)

The point I am making here is that not all accidents are the fault of the Blueline bus driver. Accidents are a statistic and they are bound to happen. In fact, road accidents are the single largest cause of deaths worldwide. People, whether drivers or pedestrians are bound to make errors in judgment once in a while. Luck also plays a major part in this.

A Blueline bus driver should be held guilty only in cases where he was clearly at fault such as -
- Drunken driving
- Hitting a stationary vehicle at the signal
- Hitting pedestrians who were on the pavement
- Driving on the wrong side of the road
- Speaking on the mobile phone while driving and other such cases.

Recently, there was an accident at Badarpur, where a Blueline bus ran over a group of village women. These women were crossing the road to catch another bus at an undesignated bus stop. The Bluelines faced widespread condemnation in the media. The government was forced to pay 1 lakh compensation to each of the accident victims after the outbreak of violence in the area and the resulting media outcry.

I listened to the comments of fellow commuters and realized that most people were not that sympathetic towards the accident victims. This is some of what I heard -

• "Yeh ladies jo bahar se aati hain, inko road cross karna nahin aata. Unka dimaag hi nahin hain" (These village ladies don't know how to cross the road. They have no brain)
• "Chalo ungli kaat lete hain, phir wahan jakar muavza claim karenge." (Let's cut a finger and later claim compensation.)
• "Sari musibaton ka jad, yeh media wale hain." (The media is the root of all problems.)

Two years ago, when I enrolled myself in a car driving school, the first thing that the instructor told me was, "Agar kabhi kisi ko thok diya, toh wahan rukna mat. Bhag jao. Logon ka gussa itna garam hota hai, ki woh aapko udhar hi peetkar maar denge. Inko pata hain, ki chod diya toh tumhara kuch nahin hoga. Baad mein police station jaakar surrender kar lena." (If you ever kill someone while driving, run away. The people at the accident site get so angry that they will beat you to death. They know that if they let you go, nothing will happen to you. Later on, you can surrender at the police station if you wish.)

As I practiced driving I realized that it was too risky to drive a vehicle on the roads of Delhi. Pedestrians just keep coming out of nowhere. I took to traveling by bus as the most safe and economical way of transport. Being a regular Delhiite, I have also been guilty of many of the offenses I listed above. Every time I escape, I plan to change my behavior, but still end up repeating the very same mistakes. (mostly road crossings, hanging from buses, getting off at signals, jumping off a running bus etc.)

Why do only Blueline buses get into trouble ? Why not DTC (government Delhi Transport Undertaking) buses?

There are fewer DTC buses than there are Bluelines. As Bluelines are private buses, many people either do not buy a ticket or buy a lower priced ticket for a longer distance. DTC buses are routinely checked by ticket checkers, so people are afraid to do the same here. If caught, a person has to pay a fine of Rs.100 or face a jail term.

The Solution To The Issue

Many media organizations have suggested better quality buses, more experienced drivers and new transport systems as a solution to this problem. However, this will never work if Delhiites continue to live dangerously by misbehaving on the roads.

The government has repeatedly been putting public service announcements in local dailies telling people to cross roads carefully and use buses properly. Messages on road etiquette are also being played though loud speakers at a few public intersections. However, much more needs to be done.

The only solution to this issue is that people in Delhi should be forced to behave by making jaywalking punishable with a fine and/or a jail term. Currently, pedestrians and bus passengers face no penalty for misbehavior. Most people have the 'Sab Chalta Hain' (Everything goes, who cares) attitude. The government should take a brave step and blame the people directly. We all know that we are at fault. The fear of losing cash is the best motivation towards sensible road behavior.

Impounding buses and canceling permits only makes the transport system in the city worse. People are forced to catch the remaining few crowded buses. This makes for an uncomfortable journey and an increase in accidents. Until then, the Blueline madness continues......

Mrs. Shiela Dixit, Chief Minister of Delhi, are you listening ???

Media Companies – Sacking Machines

Recently, a friend drew my attention to a news article hidden in the folds of a leading national daily, asking me if I knew anything about the person mentioned. I looked down at the article pointed out and read on -

A journalist from Zee News named Deepika Tiwari had committed suicide at her home in Gurgaon on the 29th of August. Her family suspects that she did this because she was out of a job for a long time. Deepika had resigned from her job as a News Anchor for Zee News in April 2006 and had been unsuccessfully looking for a job since then.

This article took me back to an infamous incident that was talked about in media circles a few years ago. The concerned news channel was Star News. This ‘event’ happened when the channel was making a transition to its ‘sensational gossip’ avatar. Aaj Tak’s shrewd Uday Shankar had recently replaced upbeat Ravina Raj Kohli and the BJP Alliance had recently lost the Lok Sabha elections.

The employees of Star News, New Delhi, had filled in their annual appraisal forms and were expecting a good raise because of the increase in channel viewership and advertising profits. The telephonic interview of each employee with his or her boss and HR based in Mumbai had also gone well. Emails and word of mouth promised a good increase in salary. Many employees had made plans to buy a new home, vehicle or to get married.

Every Star News employee was eagerly waiting for the day when the increment letters would be handed out. On the fateful day, Rishi Gaind (HR head), Saurabh Sinha and Vynsley Fernandes arrived from Mumbai with the so called ‘increment’ letters. Employees were called into a room for a face-to-face interview where the increment letter would be presented to them. Some folks got a letter with a marginal increase in pay. However, many others were rudely told to submit their resignation letter mentioning that they had some ‘personal problem’ as the reason for leaving.

The main reason they were not given the pink slip straight off was because there was a clause in the employment contract that said that if the company terminated employment without notice then they would have to pay the employee three months salary. The employees were so shocked and upset that they wrote and submitted their resignation letters immediately. If you ever wanted to see grown men and women cry, then the high-rise balcony of the Star News office was the place to be. People who had been working their butts off in all sorts of shifts for hours on end, had had their dreams shattered in an instant.

Later on, this sort of treatment became a common practice in media companies. The increasing number of graduates from mushrooming media schools and the high demand for a ‘glamour’ job, lead to employees being treated like crap in most news channels. Many left to pursue jobs in other fields because of the fear of getting sacked for no reason at all.

Currently, most news channels are staffed by interns or trainees who receive a pittance for a salary. They are replaced whenever the placement cells of media institutes ‘contact’ news channels for giving ‘work experience’ to their fresh batch of students. Those employees who have permanent jobs usually have high political connections or years of experience.

Here is a word of advice to people who have just got sacked from a News Channel in India –

1. It is not your fault. Nothing you could have done could have made them change their mind.
2. They do this every year to many employees. Today it was your turn; tomorrow it will be someone else’s.
3. Look for another job in any field. Don’t think that you were a ‘top journalist’ and what will people think if a famous ‘Aaj Tak’ reporter stooped to an ordinary job. It does not matter – no one recognizes you anyway!!!
4. Pray hard. You will get something much better than a News Channel and then you will be thankful you lost your job.
5. Don’t commit suicide. It will have no effect on your former bosses. They will just hush it up in the press. Your loved ones will end up bearing all the pain.

I am too late to save a Deepika Tiwari, but I hope this article helps some other person in need. If you need any more information or help, email me at cyberkitty123@gmail.com.

Does anyone else have any information about similar happenings in other news channels or media companies?

Google Adwords Representative - Online Test

Google Adwords Representative - Online Test

Over the past 8 months, Google has been holding tests to hire Google Adsense Representatives for its offices in Gurgaon, near New Delhi. Recently, a placement consultant called me about this test. She told me that they are paying real well at 'Google standards' ...blah blah and swayed me into taking the test. The job involves editing and proofreading the Google Adsense ads displayed by Google. Tired of my low paying media job and the lack of work, I thought I'd give it a try. I landed at the local cyber cafe where the test was being held with identification proof as asked. Nobody asked me for my ID and I started off with the test. Here is what the Google Adwords Representative test included -


Part 1 - was a multiple choice online test that involved correction of grammar and spelling. It comprised of 40 questions and had to be completed in one hours. Questions were about -

- the use of 'which' and 'than'
- the use of 'who' and 'whom'
- arranging parts of sentences in the right order.
- arranging sentences in the right order to make a paragraph
- comprehension - where you had to answer questions about given nonsensical paragraphs.

I completed this in around 30 minutes.

Part 2 - involved writing two 250 words paragraphs in an hour. The topics I got were -

- Describe a characteristic feature of your generation.
- A negative quality of your home town.

I completed this in around 1 hour ten minutes. I really had no idea that it would take this long, but the keyboard at the cyber cafe was at the level of my chin and just could not be moved lower ! Plus, I was given a real low chair. Ha Ha.

No idea if I will get the job as a Google Adwords Representative. They haven't called me as yet. None of the people I know who took the test ever got called for the interview either. Wonder, if they are actually hiring people or holding the tests as a legal requirement ? 6 months seems a pretty long time to hire a few staff !

Hope this post helps folks who have planned on taking the online test. Does anyone have any idea about this Google Adwords Representative job ?

Oprah Winfrey In India

Oprah Winfrey In India

"Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not." - Oprah Winfrey

Heard recently through various media that US TV anchor Oprah Winfrey will be coming to New Delhi for some charity work. Currently with a fortune of 1 billion US dollars, Oprah is worth more than one of India's biggest companies - Infosys Technologies.

There was a time I never used to miss an episode of the 'Oprah Winfrey Show' - that was around 7-6 years ago. The shows used to give some great advice, celebrity interviews, recipes and fashion tips. I clearly remember the show about 'safety of women' where a foreign cop was giving advice on how to protect yourself if a stranger attacks you. He said, "never let him take you to another place."

Nowadays, when I happen to catch the 'The Oprah Show' while switching channels, I always find Oprah Winfrey trying to sell something useless which is usually pretty expensive. And yes, she doles out free samples to her audience. This can range from books, to makeup, food items, clothes and whatever else. She is always promoting the businesses of her friends that come on the show - like Gayle, Andre, Dr.Phil, the skinny dinosaur like negro woman..........list goes on. Most of the time her guests give wrong impractical advice that's 'unbelievably' irritating ! Even Oprah is a nuisance when she keeps pretending that she has suffered through every single malady that is being discussed. Maybe she is trying to connect with her audience, but it seems so fake !


One of the recent episodes of "The Oprah Show' which I saw was the one in which she interviewed Miss Fake herself - Bollywood actress Ms Aishwarya Rai. Here's a pic of Oprah looking cute in a pink saree and green shirt - really, what a combination !

I also saw the Oprah Show where Meg Ryan came to the slums in Jehangirpuri through an NGO called CARE to promote the 'girl child' issue. Meg Ryan was wearing a garland/tilak and bikharis (beggars) were running after her for 'bakshish'. Maybe, Meg Ryan is one of those good natured Americans who can't bear to see people suffering and decided to contribute to a 'cause', but the situation in India is quite different.

Those who usually run after foreigners begging and making strange faces are usually professional beggars. This means that they each own begging territory or work for a begging and robbery gang. They may also pedal drugs and engage in child prostitution. They pop their bones and roll up their eyes to look handicapped. Some may even cut off a limb to look more realistic. Some hire or kidnap children to gain sympathy that earn international currency. Ever wondered how an old skinny woman could have five kids that looked around 3 years old ?

The people who are really poor are too ashamed to beg or ask anyone for anything. They work hard as labor to earn their daily bread. Most Indians know this 'beggary trick' very well and don't give any cash though we may give food and other stuff to the children that is of no use to the begging gang.

Most NGO's are another scam. All they do is write reports, update websites, sending press releases and fundraising. The money raised is never given to those who really need it but goes in paying for foreign trips of the socialite who heads the NGO. When foreigners come visiting, the NGO's collect servants, employees and relatives to display as orphans, widows etc. for the cameras and get more cash. Foreigners can't understand the language, so they are none the wiser. Many friends who work for top NGO's tell me that this is what happens in office.

When I see innocent foreigners like Oprah Winfrey and Meg Ryan visiting India to 'help the poor', I just pray they use their charity money wisely. I'd hate for it to go to waste when there are so many people who can benefit.

Well, Oprah Winfrey when are you coming over to India, you are always welcome !!

Read: Oprah Winfrey at Parmeshwar Godrej's Party, with the Bachchans in India.

Gandhi YouTube Controversy - Gautham Prasad

Gandhi You Tube Controversy - Gautham Prasad Vs Indian Media

"I believe in equality for everyone, except reporters and photographers" - Mahatma Gandhi.

Today, I thought I'd take a look at the Mahatma Gandhi pole dancing video created by New York based comedian Gautham Prasad on Youtube.com to see what the controversy was about.

The Gandhi YouTube video begins with this skinny Indian guy wearing a fake nose/glasses mask, dhoti and white shawl dancing around a pole to the tune of Punjabi bhangra music. The dancing was not obscene as such but quite comic. It seemed the kind of dancing a drunk computer nerd who watched reruns of the 'Dus Bahane' video would do. Infact, I found myself laughing quite a bit.

Well then, what was the Gandhi pole dancing controversy about ? Two Indian news channels hungry for ratings - CNN IBN and Sahara aired the video begging the government to take notice. The govenment obviously reciprocated with letters to Youtube and the television channels asking for an apology and ban. Being a journalist for the past few years I have many colleagues working for these channels and thought a post on this topic was in demand.

When I first joined the media around five years ago I had great dreams of uncovering the truth, bringing the evils of society to light and spurring the govenment to take action . With the growth of television news channels, competition and the need to make huge profits increased. Instead of the above ideals we were forced to do stories on mundane topics that would attract the most eyeballs and boost ratings. Some of the stories that disgusted me were the Amarmani Tripathi-Madhumita Shukla diary excerpts and the fake Salman Khan-Aishwarya Rai tapes.

This Gandhi pole dancing video on Youtube controversy is a similar case. 'The media is supposed to report the news not make the news. This is a typical situation where the media created a controversy where none existed. Yes, my colleagues I am blaming you. Its pretty easy to turn to the internet for a juicy tidbit to attract the attention of viewers. The govenment is completely justified in asking you to apologise. Stop this nonsense about 'free press' and 'free speech', it is your fault and you know it.

At every morning meeting the bureau chiefs and reporters decide on the stories for the day. Why did you pick this story ? The internet is filled with controversial stuff like violence and porn. Will you always turn to it when you run out of suitable gossip and go about asking folks and ministers for their reaction ? Using words in your script like outrage, incense, fury, vulgar to create the same may ensure short term advertising revenue but is quite an unhealthy approach towards news.

As for Gautham Prasad, this 29 year old professional clown who acted in the Gandhi pole dancing video - he has sure got some great publicity for his shows, yoga classes and website skinnyindian.com. Wonder if he has a relative or friend working in the electronic media...wink. Plus, he has apologised on his site, so what else can be said ?? I am sure if Gandhi was alive he would have forgiven him !

What say you ??