Why Crib about India.

Many Indians, particularly those who are fortunate to see the world outside India, are chronic cribbers on how bad the situation in India is. And how well treated they are by their adopted domicile, their original country not being able to value them. This blog is intended to highlight, let us look at the good side of India just as we look at the good side of foreign countries.

In Amsterdam, taxis were not accepting credit cards. At every traffic junction, the taxi driver would pull out a file to scribble something. Apparently, it was for tax administration. Meaning, it was a manual tracking system as the taxis, otherwise mostly Mercedes make, did not have radio control. Also they did not accept credit cards. Contrary to the Meru cabs et al in India.

I landed at the hotel booked for me, and they did not have a room despite having charged my card for that night. What efficiency? This has never happen to me in India.

The hotel 4 star, respectable by all standards, the Wyndham Apollo, did not accept traveler’s checks.

A shop selling motorbike gear, did not accept credit cards. They could accept cards with a pin though. More interestingly, they informed this to me, when I had already spent 1 hr or more in rummaging the store to find the best fit, and was at the counter to pay. The apology that came too was not adequate.

In a very decent restaurant, I saw a cockroach creep onto the sofa I was occupying. In India I would have created a ruckus on this, more for the reason of sensitizing people to be conscious of quality. But there I did not care.

In Frankfurt, at the Steigenberger – a 5 star hotel, there was a fly in the mushroom soup. Again shameful! The hotel desired to compensate me by making my meal complimentary, which, I very condescendingly declined. Such a paltry amount cannot compensate such a hideous affront to my sensibilities.

The cycle that I hired at the Steigenberger was improperly  balanced. It was an automatic Kettler, a local German brand, and I had to call for a tool kit for correcting the balance.

The telephone system did not work. It was impossible to get the reception or room service or any other service. The spa was filthy, and completely unattended. The charge for delivering the bottle of water was the cost + Eur 5 of service charge. There was a group in the hotel that was more noisy than any Gujarati group that I could imagine in India. I had to request the staff to sobre their decibel level.

While we as a country are still stuggling for basic necessities, but in some places we are more advanced than several parts of the world.

In Lufthansa my favorite carrier, in business class, the crew captain told me that the meat was pork whereas it was actually veal. Again I could have created a ruckus. But I did not.