Change kodi saar

The city's gargantuan appetite for loose change defies all limits. Whether you are dealing with auto drivers, bus conductors or supermaket cashiers, the common refrain will be 'change kodi saar'. 

This reaction, mind you, is not just for wide off the mark transaction like say Rs 500 for something worth Rs 40, but for even close ones like say Rs 50 for something worth Rs 42. The shops and supermarkets will make you fish out Rs 2 so that they can give back a Rs 10 note and not part with their shiny, jangly, Re 1 or Rs 2 coins in their cash boxes. In case of autos you will have to wait till he blinks and agrees to part with change or agree for 'round offs' - of course in the driver's favour.

Bus conductors have this practice of scribbling down the balance amount on the back of the ticket, which I sometimes forget to claim in the melee to wade through the crowd to get down at the destination or sometimes remember only after getting off. I am sure there might be many like me, but looks like all that is not enough for the BMTC to be in the pink of financial health!

The one particular incident that really takes the cake was when I went to pay my telephone bill at a Bangalore One centre. The bill amount was Rs 331 and I had zealously preserved a couple of hundreds and few tenners for the purpose. At the counter I gave them three Rs 100 notes, a Rs 20 note, a Rs 10 note and a two rupee coin. Even then the women at the counter had the cheek to say she does not have Re 1 to pay balance. The sheer exasperation writ large on my face made her cower a bit and she immediately sought the next counter girl's help and did manage to give back Rs 1 coin. The first thing I did after coming home was to sign up for paying phone bills through netbanking!

At another instance, on reaching Yeshwanthpur railway station by taxi, I extended a Rs 500 note to the driver as the agreed amount was Rs 400. The driver parroted the same "Change kodi ..." response but I decided to not budge. I had no choice but to be stubborn, as on that particular day even the ATMs were unkind to me. They were doling out only Rs 500 notes and came up with 'invalid transaction' message whenever I keyed in amounts below Rs 500. Finally the driver relented and returned a Rs 100 note and, in fact, he had a thick wad of same denomination notes tucked in his purse.

This unexplained urge to hoard loose change totally beats me.  

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Dogged by strays

The other day I was walking through a dark alley (at around 9.30-10 pm) on my way to a stationery shop. I felt as though someone from behind was scratching on my right shoulder. And to my horror I found that it was actually the paw of a stray dog. I was shaken by fear. The stray then started barking and snarling menacingly at me.

I immediately groped in the dark for the nearest pebble and threw at it and, out of sheer panic, widely missed the target. The folks at the stationery store also happened to see my predicament and shooed away the canine. Just then a person came, probably the 'keeper' of the stray, and was complaining as to how dare I throw stones at his beloved doggie!

Like any other Indian city Bangalore has its generous share of stray dogs, but I doubt whether their four-legged cousins in other cities enjoy such a strong constituency among humans as in this city. It is a common sight to see people treating them with biscuits and even fondling them. This is despite the fact that there have been repeated instances of attacks (often fatally) on small children by these four-legged denizens.

Every attack on kids raises the tempo of debate and media spotlight on stray dog menace. The city fathers swing into action and order dog culling. Once culling begins, pictures (in very graphic details) gets splashed in newspapers and TV channels and that in turn draws howls of indignation from 'animal lovers' groups. Culling stops, things come to a standstill and the issue of proliferating strays gets forgotten till another attack takes place.

Among animal lovers there are some incorrigible romantics whose stand towards strays is akin to that of Indian state's approach towards Ajmal Kasab or Afzal Guru.

Sterilisation seems to be the only humane (though time consuming) and credible option but, despite claims from municipal authorities, I think it is being done with as much zest as family planning programmes for humans in BIMARU states (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh). Thanks to such a tepid response, newly-born litters squealing and gamboling near garbage heaps (one big reason for attracting strays) is a very common sight.

As for incorrigible romantics I mentioned before, a visit to the family of those kids injured or killed by dog attacks would be a very sobering experience.

Or even better they take up some jobs that involves night shifts and go back home, well after midnight, on bicycles or maybe take a cab and get down one or two stops before their destination and walk down the rest of distance through small lanes. The goose bumps they would get on being chased by dogs would be a chastening experience.

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Tree-less at Suranjan Das road

When I came to Bangalore about six years back, driving through the Suranjan Das road, off HAL Airport Road, was not exactly a pleasure (probably only NICE road in the city can offer that), but it did offer some pleasant takeaways. The rows of trees on both sides of the road was a soothing sight, even while snailing though the traffic jams or negotiating a pothole.

Many of the trees looked quite ancient and imposing, providing ample shade even in April sunshine. Drives during rainy seasons though was sometimes dicey, as with most Bangalore roads, with the threat of trees with roots weakened by footpaths giving up on life. Moreover we had filled-to-brim potholes to contend with.

I was not a regular at this road and my forays used to be during those rare weekend visits to meet relatives and friends either at CV Raman Nagar or Banaswadi and beyond. During one of those visits, I was shocked to see some trees near the HAL market pulled down. The once imposing trees were reduced to mere stumps. As I moved a little further I saw JCBs and other earth movers at work.

Just couldn't figure out what it was all about. Have been reading in papers as to how residents in the city were vociferously protesting felling of trees for Metro construction, but here it seemed conspicuous by its absence. No signs of protests were visible. I guessed the trees were cut to widen roads, but left me wondering why dig such deep trenches using JCBs? Moreover, barricades of Namma Metro added to my confusion. However, I dismissed the thought of any metro coming here as I remember seeing these barricades at almost all infrastructure sites ranging from flyovers to drainages. Guess some corporation guy thought this would be a bright idea to create a hype over city's next-gen mode of transport.

Later on I read in papers that the a four-lane road was coming up to ease congestion for vehicles going to Bagmane Tech Park. When I happened to pass through Suranjan Das road a few weeks later it was sheer massacre. The line-up of trees on one side of the road had been almost wiped out and the remaining ones were being felled using motorised blades. Traffic was getting diverted through parallel roads and men were busy hauling up tree trunks to mini lorries. Huge trunks were lying strewn all over the road and it almost resembled a lumber yard. For the timber contractors I guess it must have been, quite literally, a windfall.

It made me wonder as to why transplanting these valuable trees was not thought of as an option. How old these trees were and how many years it would take to have such full grown trees, assuming that the authorities keep their promise of planting fresh trees. 

A Google search revealed that the road was named after a pioneer IAF test pilot and it was built way back in the 1940s to connect its Aero Engine division with the main factory on Airport Road. So I am assuming that these trees were planted in the 1940s or maybe even predate the road. One entry also said that "for over five decades, this road had remained calm and pollution-free, where people jogged in peace". Looks like a another era altogether!

On my last visit the stretch between HAL junction and BEML gate had huge pipes dotted on the sides. It seems the pipeline has to get over before the road is made into a four-lane one. The only saving grace is that the park opposite to HAL Public School and the adjoining teak park have not been touched yet.

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