To continue on my previous post of technology hampering growth, let me quote an incident that happened on the local bus in Singapore during my recent visit. Consider a simple mathematical problem. 5 people are entering a bus. They have to pay SD $1.4 as fare each from point A to point B. What is the total amount spent? Any kid even in the 2nd grade in India will be able to tell you to pay SD $7 instantly.
Singapore has a smart card system wherein you have to purchase a card with a certain currency in it. It can be extensively used on the MRT services offered. These include the local buses, taxis and even on the metro. My family and I were returning from a visit into the city and we decided to take the local bus. However the currency available was insufficient on the smart card. So the bus driver asked us politely to get off the bus. We told him that we would pay cash. He seemed apprehensive but seeing that we were tourist he allowed us inside and started the bus. The following conversation then occurred between my dad and the bus driver.
Dad : "How much Jalan Besar?"
BUS Driver : "Put proper change?"
Dad : "Yes, but how much is it?"
Bus Driver : "Put proper change?"
Dad :(too me)"I don't think he understands English!"
(With a confused expression on his face he keeps looking at the cash in my dads hand and the road ahead. He finally stops the bus at the side of the road and starts calculating the distance cost on a paper. Voila finally he figures it out)
Bus Driver : "SD $1.4"
Dad : "Is that for one person?"
Bus Driver : "SD $1.4"
Dad : "hmmmm..I guess it is. Here is SD $7"
Bus Driver : "Is it the proper change?"
Dad : "Yes. $7 for five people"
Bus Driver : "1.4...1.5..."(mumbles under his breath)
My dad on seeing the trouble he was in starts to take a crash course in mathematics. The bus driver looking convinced at our confidence decides that we must be right after all and opens the change dispenser and issues us the tickets.
This might seem funny on one hand that having such state-of-the-art facilities they are unable to perform simple math but then on the other it can be seen that probably the bus diver was uneducated. Is spite of his lack of knowledge he was extremely courteous towards us. If a lesson is to be learnt here it would be that while on one hand technology is a boon to society at large, we should not take it for granted and the other that in spite of out short comings we should always be courteous as you never know who will blog about you later.
Singapore has a smart card system wherein you have to purchase a card with a certain currency in it. It can be extensively used on the MRT services offered. These include the local buses, taxis and even on the metro. My family and I were returning from a visit into the city and we decided to take the local bus. However the currency available was insufficient on the smart card. So the bus driver asked us politely to get off the bus. We told him that we would pay cash. He seemed apprehensive but seeing that we were tourist he allowed us inside and started the bus. The following conversation then occurred between my dad and the bus driver.
Dad : "How much Jalan Besar?"
BUS Driver : "Put proper change?"
Dad : "Yes, but how much is it?"
Bus Driver : "Put proper change?"
Dad :(too me)"I don't think he understands English!"
(With a confused expression on his face he keeps looking at the cash in my dads hand and the road ahead. He finally stops the bus at the side of the road and starts calculating the distance cost on a paper. Voila finally he figures it out)
Bus Driver : "SD $1.4"
Dad : "Is that for one person?"
Bus Driver : "SD $1.4"
Dad : "hmmmm..I guess it is. Here is SD $7"
Bus Driver : "Is it the proper change?"
Dad : "Yes. $7 for five people"
Bus Driver : "1.4...1.5..."(mumbles under his breath)
My dad on seeing the trouble he was in starts to take a crash course in mathematics. The bus driver looking convinced at our confidence decides that we must be right after all and opens the change dispenser and issues us the tickets.
This might seem funny on one hand that having such state-of-the-art facilities they are unable to perform simple math but then on the other it can be seen that probably the bus diver was uneducated. Is spite of his lack of knowledge he was extremely courteous towards us. If a lesson is to be learnt here it would be that while on one hand technology is a boon to society at large, we should not take it for granted and the other that in spite of out short comings we should always be courteous as you never know who will blog about you later.
1 comment:
To dream of courteous bus drivers/conductors in India....Sigh!
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