Thursday, December 11, 2008

Annoying Technologies.

Yes, it was netravathi express, as usual.

And as usual, I had to fight for my seat - with a punjabi family this time.
That was fine, its a daily routine. I only wished the other daily routine didnt start. Well, wishes are always wishes.

It was a stupid punjabi song, full volume. No mercy ! Yes, I am talking about people playing music loud in trains. I always go and ask people to use a headphone or to lower the volume. But this time, i just had a fight with the family over the seat (that very much belong to me), so I decided to keep quiet.

Somebody else thought otherwise.

There was this man, probably at his early sixties. He featured his shiny forehead, with little or no hair on the front half of the head. The other part did feature thin lines of hair, white, black and brown, manifesting old attempts to paint the hair black. The upper side of the face was flat, while the lower side resembled the white make up of Kathakali artists, the colour being brown. The dress resembled that of a retd. Govt employee, of the 1990s. The posture was similar as well.

Yes. Then it happened. He took out his pen. Removed its top.

And from the pocket came one of the modern(i guess) slide phones, with a touch screen. With the ease of ticking on a survey sheet, he touched his way to his music. Ayyapa songs. One unit volume higher than that of the punjabi stuff.

The fact that me, the techie, still do not know how to dial a number on one of those hi fi phones becomes irrelevant. I did not feel bad because i still live in pre historic ages when it comes to tech gadgets. I felt bad because other people also joined in for the competitions.

I vaccated the seat i fought hard for. Went to the door, stood on the foot board, watching the scenery pass by. I didnt have to pay this much to stand on a food board. I could have very much opted for the general compartments rather than in an air conditioned one.

I have been using a mobile phone for about ten years now. Never did the concept of mobile phones annoyed me this much. Forget the guy sitting next to me who would shout out figures in lakhs. Who would shout his entire family history to the fellow passengers. Who would shout at the subordinated over the phone. Its shouting alright. I hoped it was in private.

Mobile phones do annoy me. The facilities it give is not worth the headache it gives. A technology which was supposed to simplify our lives, is just complicating it.




9 comments:

The lost girl said...

well....
if i were you i would have joined one of those people who are having a great time listening to music.
i d rather party than complain of thers havin a party!

survivingbrain said...

This is exactly what i was talking about.

I had 5 different people playing THEIR kind of music, trying to over power the volume of the other guy!! now if I were to join any party, none of them was MY kind of music.

The point was not all about mobile phones. Its about the most basic etiquette to the fellow passenger. Indian passengers - even in AC coaches - dont give space to the seat owner (I was asked to find some other place - the seat which I paid for - because they were family! not even the courtesy of helping me find me a place), they play music loud, even if somebody is studying on the next seat, talk as much loud as possible, pull up the berth at day time.

Would you have joined the party if you were going to a place were somebody was dead?

Would you join it if it was the most irritating music for you?

Would you join it if they denied your seat?

I dont have problem in they partying. Anybody, if at all doing anything at a public place, should at least look if their party is causing a very high level of irritation to the fellow passengers.

YOu can join them, but you will be looked at as another ass*&^% (in my language) who dont have a respect to others feelings.

Athira Unni said...

woah woah...sm1 seems very hot tempered abt dis incident..!!!

survivingbrain said...

@ dreamy whatever

And I know that you are the saint who will never be short tempered, who listens to others with patience, who smiles at the harshest of the swear words.

:P

yes,

:P :P :P :P

Anonymous said...

another gud one.. me do agree for the same..

DeViLs AdVoCaTe said...

oh my my....all dis anger aint gud u kno??....t tell ya da truth punjabis neednt be all tat bad...even i am 1...and they seriously rock...!!

survivingbrain said...

@ devils adv.

first, thanks a lot for the time taken to read my blog. i assume you wandered into my blog when you googles for punjabi music. and thanks for the comment.

There was absolutely no anger to the punjabis. there was no anger at all - but i was seriously irritated by the lack of consideration to the fellow passengers.

that day, it was a punjabi family. needless to say, all my worst experience came from mallu people, and I am a mallu. So please dont come into the conclusion that my anger was to the punjabi community.

all indians are united, when it comes to mobile phones. they all do the same. they simply bug the fellow passengers. I do not have any hatered to a particular state !!!

I am not a communal person, nor do i have a hatered towards a particular group. I hate people who bug me. simple. be it mallu, white, black, caucasion, african, or whatever.

and i am confortable with people who are comfortable with me. colour, cast, region and so on and so forth doesnt matter.

Shruthi Joseph said...

ha ha, this one was amazing.....techie guy!!!and by the way, responses to comments are so big tht people might stop commenting he he

survivingbrain said...

surprised to see the RAM after a long time.

anyway,
I am cutting down the comment.
:P:P
hee hee.