It happens only in India – Part I

Over the past month, I have been fortunate to observe a couple of incidents, which I truly believe can only happen in India. Let me elaborate

Scene: A road trip from Mumbai to Ahmednagar (100 kms ahead of Pune)

My first road trip ever to the interiors of Maharashtra. And an amazing trip it was! The first Ripley’s believe it or not moment was the realization that the entire route from Mumbai to Ahmednagar (about 250 kms) is a smooth highway with barely any potholes/craters/non road type things along the route. Of course, such a privilege is not without its costs. And so you have about 6 toll booths to cross along the route with tolls varying from Rs 15(to cross some village which boasts of a highway) to Rs 150 (to enter the Mumbai-Pune expressway), including one toll booth that charged a toll of Rs 37. I think that booth must be run by a mathematician with a fetish for prime numbers!

It is these toll booths that are the subject of my observations (I have a feeling this sentence is not grammatically correct, but am going to stick to it regardless). At every toll booth, there is one speed breaker at the entrance of the booth, one toll booth where you pay the toll in return for a piece of paper, one speed breaker at the exit of the booth and….wait for it…..ONE PERSON STANDING BESIDE THE EXIT SPEED BREAKER. For the first three booths, I wondered what the job description of that person could possibly be, only to be answered at the booth with the prime number toll. As it happened, it took me quite a while to rummage through the wallet and come with exact Rs 37 that the operator demanded as he had run out of change (how could he not!). While handing it over to him, a 2 rupee coin must have slipped out, unnoticed by both me and the operator, post which I proceeded to move out without waiting for the needless ceremony of receipt transfer. As I reached the exit bump, the operator realized that he had received only Rs 35 and gave out a solitary shout “Ruko”. On cue, the man beside the exit breaker, without a moment’s hesitation, JUMPED IN FRONT OF THE CAR, presumably to ascertain that I could not leave without having completed the transaction.

I could not help but wonder at what possible job description the toll company would be providing while hiring people for the post. A few possibilities that come to mind

1. Wanted – Car stoppers at toll exit. Must not be afraid to die or get injured during the course of work. No medal expectations for sacrifice

2. Have no life? Can’t see any future for yourself? We have a job for you. Be a toll booth exit supervisor

3. What do you think is the value of your life? If the answer is Rs 37 or less, contact us for the last job of your life

I definitely would like to meet the person who came up with this brilliant idea of utilizing the excess manpower in rural India. Truly a genius!!