Why don't you open the bank account in Margao?

As I thought about the bureaucratic hassles in day to day life, I recalled trying to open a bank account in Goa.

The proof of residence I seemed to have was not enough for the bank. The officer was very happy that my passport had a Goa address and suggested that I open an account in their Margao branch. Thanks to computerisation, it just wouldn't matter for my normal usage.

It did not matter that I did not stay in Margao anymore! I could give them the proof they needed to complete the paperwork.

RTO Agents - Not Touts but Service Providers

I paid still another visit to the RTO office. I expected it to be the last but it wasn't. If I look back, I have not faced any deliberate delay. In fact, most of the time, the people involved have been helpful.

There has not been a single occasion when I felt that any attempt was being made to delay the work and re-enforce the impression we have. It is just that the process is needlessly complex and pointless.

For example, the proof of residence was not one of the accepted ones. So, I needed to give an affidavit on a stamp paper that I stay where I say I stay.

Are our rules so bad that if give wrong information to the RTO, it does not have any legal implications. For me to be penalised, I have to re-iterate the wrong information on an affidavit?

I had expected in 2005 that Manmohan Singh make day to day life easier. I don't think I will ever understand why he did not or could not.

The Union cabinet, chaired by PM Manmohan Singh, decided to constitute a group of ministers to finalise the terms of reference of the body that will be set up to prepare a blueprint for revamping the public administration system acr-oss the country.

I am retired and stay not far from the Chandigarh and Goa RTO offices. However, I am convinced that it would have been economical even for me to go through a tout, rather, a very valuable Service provider!

Life guards on the beach - saving lives or removing fun?

I have very mixed feelings about the strike by life guards in Goa. I became aware of the strike the day after I went to the Calangute beach recently.

It was surprisingly quiet on the beach. I realized the reason when I read about the strike the next morning.

On a visit to the beaches a couple of months earlier, there was an almost continuous whistling by the lifeguards. It appeared as if they did not want the people to get into the water at all.

A life guard seemed to be gesturing towards me to move out of the area though I was at best in ankle deep water on the edge of the beach. It is possible that his gestures were directed towards someone else. However, I just moved further away seeking a quieter area.

In fact, at one place I saw a fight between the guards and some tourists and it seemed like a very likely occurrence. Typically Indian solution. Just don't do it. No explanation or reason for why :(

I want to hear the sound of the waves not whistles on beach.
 

Wealth, Quality of LIfe and Paradise Lost

I was pretty sure that I would retire in Goa. I loved the place. I like the greenery and the beaches. I like the small towns and villages with the comfort of a modern life.

Now somehow Bob Dylan's Things Have Changed resonates. The road in front of my flat now hums with traffic and it is bound to get worse. Taxi services are aimed at tourists who have no other options. With such conflicts, there is little chance of Ola or Uber like services.

If one way taxis from home to point of destination were easily available at reasonable costs, I for example would be happy to use them and not own a car. Who wants to search for a parking place near a beach or in the town?

I can't imagine roads being cleared of parked vehicles anytime soon. We don't need more roads but using the roads more effectively. That too is not going to happen.

I don't see any efforts on changing the mindset of the people. We should expect polite and courteous behaviour on the roads. Discourtesy should be the exception and not the other way around. Try showing courtesy to pedestrians and observe their nervousness!

I don't see any chance of cars being stopped and parked outside the coastal villages. We should move around the beach area by walking or using small electric vehicles like golf carts.

I can expect that we will widen the roads, create new roads. We will not create a society where people do not need to move around so much or need personal vehicles.  We will not be able to manage well with what we have. Growth is the modern mantra :(

In short, Goa is no longer an obvious choice for retirement. The cold and the heat of Chandigarh no longer seems so bad. I can walk to rose garden.

India should stop building roads and spend on autonomous transport

The surprising message for me after hearing this talk Keynote - AltCars Expo was the great reduction in the road space needed.

Assuming that this technology enables us to have a far better movement of traffic with the existing road infrastructure, we in India should be actively pursuing this future rather than building ever more roads. Can we make it work in India?

The cost of NOT doing it is visible in the example of Delhi:

I recall having a sore throat on every trip I took to Delhi by the time I reached my office from the airport. This was on trips to  Delhi prior to the introduction of CNG. The experience after that (2002 onward?) was far better  for some years. Meanwhile, Delhi built more roads, more flyovers, and even a metro, but the net result is that it has achieved the status of the most polluted city in the world!

How can autonomous vehicles share the road space with the current Indian traffic? It just seems impossible when even in the US, humans tend to hit the autonomous vehicles from the rear.

We should start with autonomous public transport, both buses and taxis, and create a legal framework which disciplines the human drivers harshly.

How about legally treating any human driver who hits an autonomous vehicle as attempting suicide. All legal responsibilities of insurance companies would be exactly the same as in the case of a suicide.

We can experiment with such a law today with riders on motor bikes  who are not wearing a helmet. I am pretty sure it will introduce social pressures and modify the behaviour of the riders. It may even help create a market for air-cooled helmets.

Andher Nagari Chaupat Raja - Software to The Rescue

Finally, a closure to closing a bank account! I was reminded of it by the title "Impersonal Government is Good".

I had resubmitted the papers again. I had visited the bank branch two days later before leaving Chandigarh, but the officer concerned was on leave. Obviously, no one else could help.

I hoped the officer would honor the commitment.  What else could I do anyway. She didn't as I found out online a few days later.

Fortunately, I found a form to submit a complaint. It took a few days but I got a call from the branch in Chandigarh asking to speak to my late mother!

After a bit of explanation, I could over-hear her talking to the officer concerned - "But it is in my CRM". Anyway, she told me it wasn't done but will be by next day and it was.

So, may be Manna should indeed be THE solution for Indian public services.

The Stress of Walking - Whats Wrong with Me?

I am walking in Mumbai. I know it as I am reminded by honking every few seconds. The upside is that there is no way that I could get lost in thought and be hit by a vehicle while crossing a road.

There must be quiet areas. We went to Powaii recently. Crossing the road to go to the lake side was an achievement. We didn't walk for long. I suppose it was to be expected. The walkway was nice  but the waters near the shore were filthy. We walked a little further and could no longer ignore a very noticeable odour. The odour was far from pleasant :(

I am walking in NCL Colony in Pune. The nearest post office is in NCL colony. It is wooded and a beautiful campus. Yet, I find that my mind is not relaxed. Whats wrong with me? I become aware of the hum of the traffic on the main road just across the boundary. It may not be visible to the eyes but there is no way that you can ignore the vehicles :(

My flat in Goa used to very quiet even though it is close to an industrial estate. It was quiet except for a year when an industry across our flat had put up a generator, which seemed to be designed to vibrate. I wish I could claim credit but fortunately the factory disappeared and so did the generator :)

However, I can no longer have hope a quiet miracle. The small road in front seems to be going somewhere now. There is a continuous flow of traffic on it. I suppose we will get the pleasure of watching traffic jams as well. Will I opt to forego cross-ventilation and succumb to an air conditioner? Oh, going for a walk - the best option is to take a car ride somewhere :( Reminds me of The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie.

It has become easy for me to empathise with the victims of wind power. I would any day opt for the risk of being blown to bits by the explosion of a nuclear power plant.

Is age making me senile or has our environment deteriorated to such an extent that at least my mind can't ignore the noise anymore?

Update: Took the risk of going to the beach today. The traffic was not too bad and no high beams on the way back :) Walked on the beach. If only the movement of cars could produce the rhythm of the waves!

The soothing sounds of the waves are a great therapy.