|
Flying home: The way we are
By Ranjita Biswas
Having just flown in from a foreign location and then catching a domestic flight, I cannot but make comparisons. Lest you think I sound snooty, it’s not about the spic and span airports in western or even nearer home in Bangkok, Singapore or Hong Kong I am talking about but about the way we are.
 |
|
| |
I landed in Delhi in the wee hours of 27 March. The newly updated international terminal looked spruce enough. Then I went to the washroom. Women of various ages were sitting and gossiping about who was in training, and who could be inducted, somebody’s niece, somebody’s cousin, while the toilets remained tardy. A good welcome to
a foreigner indeed.
The GMR is frantically trying to finish the upgradation of the Indira Gandhi International airport complex before the 2010 Commonwealth Games (some say it may not happen due to terrorist threat) and everywhere it’s pretty chaotic outside with construction materials (understandable) and there are admittedly sign-boards with “Sorry for the inconvenience” but there are areas which do not need to suffer.
For instance, the shuttle bus service between the international and domestic airports is convenient (free) but it’s uncomfortable when the AC doesn’t work with the windows shut of course and the little fans are not switched on either. Looking at the sweating foreigners, and myself no better after a minus- 20 degree weather in the Lapland, I asked the attendant why the AC was not working. “You know, it’s supposed to…but in India, humlog ka aisa...” etc.
At the domestic arrival some passengers were at their tether’s end trying to find the entry gate to Kingfisher Red flight which was
apparently different from the parent Kingfisher counter.
Understandable as they were about to miss their flight. The attendant in the bus looked equally confused. At last when they found it which was the same as Spicejet, my flight, the people manning the gate said, “Yes, there’s problem, there’s a major confusion.” So why wasn’t rectified? And why should Kingfisher (which has bought Air Deccan to
stamp it as Kingfisher Red) treat it as a poor cousin? No reply.
Inside, I had a long wait to catch my Kolkata flight. Here the door to the ‘Ladies’ creaked ominously but at least it held and the attendant was alone and in uniform and was attentive. Small mercy!
Tired, I checked the flight information display counting the hours to the 13 hrs flight (Spicejet 2104). Oh no, I groaned as I saw it was bilombit - delayed to 13.50 hrs. So I waited, unable to go around as my luggage was still with me. At last, I decided to make an early check-in, if they allowed and apologised “ I know, I am too early.” But the attendant at the check-in counter said, “But it’s in time at 13 hrs.” Well, I pointed to the announcement still scrolling on.
“It’s another flight, may be, ‘ she yawned.
But how could the same number be allotted to different flights? I couldn’t fathom but went through the security check. There I approached the attendant at the Helpdesk and wanted to confirm whether I was wrong or my eyes had betrayed me. She said “Yes Ma’m,
it’s at 13.50 hrs.” Of course, it’s what her computer showed. “But they have given me the boarding pass which says boarding at 12.20 pm
and flt at 13 hrs,’ I showed her the pass. She looked a little helpless and suggested helpfully, “Why don’t you ask the Spicejet people at the Gate no 3?” I did and the guy looked equally perplexed.
“But it’s on time,” was all he could say. While I was boarding at the scheduled time, the scroll still showed flight 2104 was delayed to 13.50 hrs and I pointed out and the guy said “I don’t know why it’s so. Please ask GMR.”
Two things struck me: first, despite bringing into notice at several desks none bothered to inform whoever was making the mistake at the control; second, if passengers, like me, had blissfully waited to check in late believing what they saw, they might have missed the flight. God help the sportsmen and others visiting India if the much-touted Games if airport upgradation has people of this calibre to man the state-of the art infrastructure.
And then the way are! There was no aerobridge and the buses to take us to the aircraft had no disabled/old passenger friendly boarding facility either. They had to be literally hauled up to get into the bus.
Then there was this young mother with a five-month old baby who got into the bus little later and there was no seat. So she sat on the step while men (not old or handicapped ) sat merrily not bothering to
offer her a seat while we stood watching them giving tender looks at the lovely baby. Aha! Women are equal today, aren’t they?
At the Kolkata airport there was no one to help the old passengers to alight from the bus ; the kindly passengers did it. Waiting for the luggage to arrive, I saw this amn in uniform busily looking for some business by help collect the baggage while this 85 year old gentlemen was huffing and puffing trying to retrieve his luggage from the V-belt. I asked why wasn’t he asking for somebody’s help as I struggled with my own heavy suitcase. Maybe he was too proud to ask for help but he did ask a young man next to him. When I hailed the man in uniform to help the old man, he said, hoiye gechhe (it’s done) with help from the young co-passenger. of course!
We feel sanctimonious when people from outside’ comment on our boorish behaviour, or our inefficiency but don’t look ourselves in the mirror . We get angry (and then bask in reflected glory) when a Slumdog Millionaire shows the slums of Mumbai. But watch the Amazing Race episode (AXN) when the competitors in this global race had to come to Jaipur, the pink city, in one leg (I saw it on 28 March, 7 pm). While some looked shell-shocked by the garbage and poverty on the street, two of the competitors, a young boy with his mother, and a young girl actually wept at seeing naked children scouring the dumps for food. And it’s a reality show, no acting there! |
