Its a JAB ! Just Another Blog !!!

Vodafone India ₹ 499 LifeTime Offer Today, as I was having lunch, I received a call. The caller identified me by name. Then proceeded to explain she was calling to offer me a great ‘postpaid’ plan. From Vodafone. Why? I was already on a Vodafone pre paid. No Answer. But I figured. A few months earlier, I had figured that the bill being charged to me was too much for the services I was availing. So I did what a right minded Gujju would. Switched to pre-paid. Now mind you, I have been on post paid for over a decade before the switch. Back to the call.  She : I am suggestiing a Rs. 499/- “lifetime” plan which would include some 700 minutes of local talk time, 500 SMS and 2 GB of 3G data. Me (Thinking) : Now that is a pretty decent plan for someone with my kind of usage. My curiosity is piqued. Me : How long is “lifetime” Her (irritated voice) : lifetime means lifetime. Me : What if Vodafone shuts down this plan. Her : Kya Sir, aisa kabhi hota hai kya. Vodafone...

2004 : Regular commute on the western express highway (which was barely a total of 3-4 lanes) all the way to Seepz, sometimes via Aarey Colony/JVLR. Chai pe discussions (borrowed phrase) over why are they bothering to build a highway in the middle of the city..why we just cant have a metro from  Ghodbundar / Kashimira  to atleast Bandra , since we were anyways building the commercial district of Bandra Kurla Complex  and the  Bandra  Terminus. Anyways Delhi had a metro since the 1990's, and we being the hip and happening Mumbai deserved our own. That, we all know did not happen. And, in the meanwhile, atleast I now have good understanding of why something like that or similar will have opposing forces : Lost Fare - Such a move would render thousands of auto fares/taxi fares needless. Think about Rs. 1 to 2 crore lost on a daily basis. In this context, think of the cycle of increasing taxi-auto fares -> increasing taxi/auto permits -> increasing fa...

This post is largely about some changes which would be beneficial to Mumbai ( rikshaw drivers and commuters both) and not so beneficial to the politicians. The objectives that would be met are: 1. financial benefits to the autoriksha instead of the middlemen. 2. guidelines which bring clarity to autorikshas and commuters, both. 3. guidelines for vehicles. Current circumstances: A permit is issued for an autoriksha, which is transferable to another vehicle used. An public service capable license is required to drive these autos. Currently no additional registration or listing is required to be able to drive Suggestions:  An increase in the number of permits based on the increase in population in the city every year. (before you yell @ me about the traffic problems already, please read on) The permit of an autoriksha should be issued to those who own a public service license. This should be necessarily combined with other details like a PAN number or now an Aadhar n...

Couple of months back, I saw something interesting on the streets in Mumbai, where women were selling some wares. Observed some more, and here it is... Hot Shots This tactic is visible in restaurants, mainly Udipi restaurants and also the steetside pavbhaji/tava pulav vendors in Mumbai. Does it happen in your city/town/village as well ? The bhajis, specially the red coloured gravy ones: bhaji from pao-bhaji, veg kolhapuri, veg patiala, bhendi masala etc. are cooked using a mix of masala which stings on the tongue, and most of us eat food in such places when the temperature of the food is hot to lukewarm. This combination of hot taste and hot temperature confuses the average human being's reflexes: While eating such bhajis, ability to discern hunger and taste decreases, thrist, and eating speed increases. This generally results in you eating a pao-bhaji quickly, not understanding how much of your hunger is appeased, and generally resulting in a side order of a carbona...

Sigh !!!!!!   My heart bleeds... The things that they have done to Mumbai. I came to Mumbai in June 1990 for further education. The charm of Mumbai that lured me...the city. The beautiful stories that I had heard. Rags to Riches stories. Stories of love, of unquestioning freedom, of strength, of sacrifice, of mafia dons who cared for the poor, of trains that run in both directions (most people who come for the first time here are amazed !). And look what they have done to it.   http://specials.rediff.com/news/2006/jul/05sld1.htm and http://in.rediff.com/news/2005/jul/29sld01.htm and http://in.rediff.com/news/mumrain05.htm and http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Mumbai/Salt_pans_may_be_up_for_grabs/articleshow/2093268.cms   Raped over and over again. Not by one but by all politicians and political party. She survives, not cared for by the people she has nurtured over the years, but on her own, like the whores of Mumbai fou...