Thats's why I say, its worth saving some extra cash and buying a business class seat. You may be paying more of your hard earned money, but its definitely a step up in terms of service and privacy. You won't need anecdotes like these in most such cases. Cheers!! Enjoy your next trip...
I was on bus tour of All India with 40 old people above 65 years, I was 32 years that time but I never felt awakrd with them they all enjoyed my company and I still remember all of them. (I was accopanying my parents who were ~ 70 years at that time).
Re: lost human
by Nav on Dec 06, 2009 05:27 AM
Age has nothing to do with this. The old lady was a pain and I can completely empaphize with the writer. It has nothing to do with western culture or being elite.
The author should have just smilingly ignored the agend woman or have asked the crew to change her seat. I have travelled to India a couple of times; and have came across a lot of people...I simply close my eyes and be a silent beeech. :0
On one hand I sympathize with the writer, on the other she does seem to be a little too intolerant. For example, the piece about the older woman piling her plates on the authors tray and asking for more room in the seat is a little to selfish of the older lady. However, the piece about demanding warm water for the author is not a bad thing. The method may be questionable but the intention was good.
Felt the article was a little exaggerated and the author needs to be a little more tolerant.
On the other hand, it seems the older woman is trying to take advantage of her age.....
Re: Mixed bag
by Six Sigma on Dec 02, 2009 07:26 AM
No!! This is ok by indian standards perhaps - but the world isn't india - there is a decorum to be followed and her shouting and screaming instead of waiting like others was just plain rude. I side with the author - i woud've been uncomfortable as well..
The writer seems to be a first time traveller and not aware of the real wretchedness of being locked up in a tin for 12-15 hours....like being served cold meals and the excuse being that the microwaves are busted. (air-india, flight to london, some time in 2001). I'd advise her to chill and not be embarrassed by your own kind!
Surprised how people jump right away to judge the author of the story. I actually would be annoyed too. I have stayed in USA for the past 10 yrs and I have been in situations where I have sat next to very old people traveling to India after visiting their kids in USA. I have been very very nice to these old people explaining them how things work and even ordering or communicating with the air hostesses on their behalf. Infact I love talking to old people from India and give them company. I treat them like my parents. I am sure I would like the same treatment for my parents from a fellow Indian if they travel alone. But there is a big difference between the people I have dealt with and the old lady mentioned here. This lady has no sense of personal space, she has no regards for other peoples comfort and on top of that she is arrogant. I think the author was nice enough to listen to her. And people this is the problem with us Indians, we cannot take negative criticism. What is a fact is a fact. Just because the lady was old does not make her a better human being. Sorry!!
Re: suprised
by Moon Man on Dec 02, 2009 02:26 PM
It's your misfortune that you r in USA for past 10 years. There is a psychological facts about how different country people treat the distance as their personal space. For typical Indian person, it is very very less, while for Australians it is very broader. Here, the author seem not to be aware about this at all. So, only solution is to be considerate. It's multicultural issue and no culture would accept criticism be it Indian or Australian.
Sad part is, you and author, both being Indian origin, are not aware about Indian perception of Personal space.
Re: Re: suprised
by Worried Indian on Dec 02, 2009 10:25 PM
Dear Moon Man, It's my "misfortune" that I am in USA? Just because I said something what was a fact, you want to take shots at me? That was exactly my point in the first place. I am very much aware of the Indian perception of Personal space. When I am in India I am more Indian than any Indian person, who has just travelled out of India for a year and thinks he is not Indian anymore. I have known Indian who forgets their mother tongue when they come here, just to show how cool they are. Anyways, there is a universal “acceptable” personal space anywhere in the world. It is basic manners, not to wake up any person who is sleeping next to you. It is selfishness to keep your plate of the other persons table so that YOU can sleep well. Our elderly people in India are more cultured than this lady. If you go to some village and are sleeping, even they will not wake you up to ask you some question. They will make sure you are more comfortable before you sleep and they themselves will sleep in some uncomfortable place. India and elderly Indians are much more cultured and considerate than this old selfish lady.
Re: Re: Re: suprised
by Dream Peace on Dec 08, 2009 09:15 AM
Wrried Indian, After you have so nicely explained bit by bit 'how Indians are' do u think such 'old lady' could exist?It seems a typically fabricated story by the author.And even if she did exist, author could have been tried to be nice to her like you said you do with ur cotraveller Indians.What is notable is, in greeting her,trying to get her water,giving her company to watch movie..the old lady's intention is good..though the way was wrong.Here,being an Indian,the author could have taken the privilege to explain the DOs & DONTs of flight to the old lady.We all do have the right to have our personal space and its not the 'right' of elderly to expect us to be nice to them..but it is our 'duty' to do so regardless of our nationalities.And we must be tolerant towards them.Which the author is,but not sufficiently.Else,she wouldnt have written this post with unnecessary exageration about the old lady.
This piece of article reminds me of the Crass and rustic Village folks who have suddenly gotten rich overnight and are flying probably for the first time. They have no manners and behave as if they are travelling in a local tempo, wherein actually they are in a plane for Godsakes. I actually feel embarrassed to be an Indian in such incidents, which have become commom place.
I regret but need to agree with European people who say that Indians are usually crass, obnoxious and rude in their behaviour when they are tourists.
Re: Sigh !
by Cool ChandraThakur on Dec 02, 2009 09:13 AM
Another elitist jerk. The real difference between a tempo & plane is that the plane goes faster & over longer distance & hence costs more.
Re: i have only one advice for u
by Ashish Bandyopadhyay on Dec 02, 2009 02:56 AM
This exacctly the point of view / the way most common villagers feel in planes and therefore people like end up putting us down and shaming us in front of International Travellers from other countries.
People like Raj Thackersey should be given a course in Traveling in planes in economy class. Shame on you !
Re: i have only one advice for u
by pra k on Dec 02, 2009 02:58 AM
You have managed to display more ignorance about yourself than have contributed to the conversation. It doesn't seem like you have flown on an airplane on any class nor do you have any knowledge of Volvo cars. I have been driving Volvos since 1984, buying a new model every 3 to 4 years. Volvos are well engineered, extremely comfortable (like a first class cabin seat), very dependable (rarely breakdown), have a well deserved reputation for safety and above all are fun to drive. So, I hope in the future, you would take the time to learn the subject matter before shooting from the hip.
Re: Re: i have only one advice for u
by common sense on Dec 02, 2009 02:36 PM
Hey pra k, Raj Thackersey was talking about Volvo buses not Volvo cars. you have managed to display ignorance I believe
Re: Re: i have only one advice for u
by common sense on Dec 02, 2009 02:36 PM
Hey pra k, Raj Thackersey was talking about Volvo buses not Volvo cars. you have managed to display ignorance I believe
Re: Re: Re: i have only one advice for u
by pra k on Dec 03, 2009 01:03 AM
Allright, common sense, I stand corrected. Although, Raj did not distinguish between buses or cars, he seemed to be bad mouthing the entire brand with the use of just one word "Volvo".
Thus, my reaction.
By the way, I have not yet traveled in Volvo buses. Are they as bad as Raj seems to think? Would like yor thoughts.
Re: Re: Re: Re: i have only one advice for u
by Raj Thackersey on Dec 03, 2009 01:22 AM
what a mess they made of my comments :)
I told the lady that if she wants to travel sophisticated then she better travel business class or first class, rather than cribbing.
As for the term volvo, i referred to Volvo busses that are run by local travel operators like Raj/Konduskar/Neeta/SKS etc. The feeling you get while travelling in such busses is exactly similar to the exp on flying economy class.
I make sure that if my flight is 4hrs then I travel business.
One thing is for sure Ashish has never flown Business and PRA K seems to be like KRK :)
