Back to Bangalore, India

India greeted me well as expected with it's notoriety. My days in Kerala went fine with no troubles or hassles to be cherished. It all started once I landed in Bangalore. Any mention about Bangalore nowadays starts with autorickshaw's and their pilots. Anytime you want to go somewhere or other, let it be morning, noon or midnight, rates are all in hundreds. I felt the pain of getting looted in bright daylight. I would like to narrate to you the following incidents that happened to me first hand in garden city with more dust than flowers.

I had received 5/7 boxes sent in cargo from Singapore and two more were to reach. The delivery guy called Sooraj my buddy n house owner's phone and asked for the route. After failing to reach home in 45mins from a 10mins distance where they were when it all started. Sooraj called them back. This time they changed their tone and asked Sooraj to get to where they were since it's we who want the cargo boxes according to them. The fact of respecting and doing once duty seems to be long forgotten here which was proved true again and again by auto's. This daylight looting made me force my dad to send my bike to Bangalore in train after booking parcel. The parcel reached Bangalore on 16-March-2011. Myself and Sooraj went to grab the bike by spending Rs.150 since most other auto wanted Rs.200. After reaching there, we came to know that we need to submit the original parcel booking slip here in Bangalore to take the bike. How on earth does this kind of parcel booking work where the sender has to courier the parcel slip separately? More fun was waiting for us. Every hour I have to pay 10Rs. until I get the bike. I asked them the logic of such a model for which they just laughed.

The only other way to get the bike was to get a stamp paper of Rs.100 and get the indemnity note typed on that and submit it. The night shift guy never told us that this was required. He said come next day morning and get the format of what need to be put in the bond. Next day morning to my amusement the lady sitting in the same desk where I met the first person pulled out a peforma and asked me to use it. I went to court to buy a bond after long fights with 3-4 auto drivers. I stood in queue to get the form and later again to pay the amount and submit the form after filling it. They said to me it will take 1hour to give the bond which tested my nerves. I waited there looking at them for 1 hour and finally got it. Later got the matter typed with the help of typist in court complex and returned to railway station. My autorickshaw charges in two days rounding railway station had reached Rs.500+ by now. I went to the 1st platform office from where they redirected me to 4th platform and again back to 1st platform. Each time carrying my new helmet and 1litre petrol hoping to take my bike out from there. Later they directed me to an office around 1Km far from railway station where I had to walk all the way. It was around 1:30 pm by now. While waiting for the bond in the court complex, I felt depressed and sad looking at Subhash Chandra Bose, Mahatma Gandhi and Dr.Ambedkar staring at me. Felt is this what they really wanted India to become? Will this kind of irrational rules and corrupt progress get us in the summit?

After reaching the parcel shelter, they asked me to bring surety to sign on the form and also they required two witness. I told them that they bike is on my name, I have the registration card in my pocket. Original insurance, my driving license and my pan card. Why on earth do u require two witness and surety for me to take my own bike?
For which they replied this is a rule passed in parliament and if you have any compliance go and tell there. I enquired whether there is anyone who really can help me to file a suggestion/compliant. This made them smile and tell, why not you try depty.Station Master even though nothing will happen they said. Then asked me to write to commercial railways head in Bangalore and whole office was laughing at me. Later I asked them how can someone have original receipt for a parcel sent on his or her name before the parcel reaches in train from a different state. For which they said, it's the rule and no one questions it! Wow, what a way to set rules which guarantees minimum of Rs.240 for late charges to Railways. I felt helpless but accepted the fact that this is how India works and went home hoping to get back with original receipt tomorrow.
Now are you interested to know how to cut your queue to get a platform ticket? It seems to be sold out of the STD booth opposite to the railway station in Majestic for Rs.4 when the original price is Rs.3. I came to know when I the booth guy refused to give me change for Rs.5 and asked if it's really platform ticket for which you need this, he can give me the ticket. I had no idea it was Rs.4 until he took it.
On 18 March, 2011, I received my bike just by showing the original parcel slip which my Dad had earlier send through airbus driver on same day morning. They didn't even check any documents, just the slip was enough. Imagine what if we had kept the receipt in the same bike while sending! I am very pleased by the fact that there was no bending rules from either side and no bribes involved. Seems like it's really getting better in that front. My total autorickshaw and fine for taking it late went more than Rs.1000+.

There was another incident wherein the DTDC courier guy asked me to pay Rs.250 for a mobile which was worth not even Rs.100 to be send. This is because my mom had forgotten to carry her mobile and we didn't want to risk sending her brand new mobile but she still needed one since she was in hostel. Since my bike is there with me now, hope I don't need to fight auto uncles often.