Temperament of Bangalore
When we were planning to move to Bangalore, friends had praised the temperament of the people of Bangalore. "They are not as aggressive as North Indians" was a popular refrain. The people of North India, especially Delhi, are supposed to very uncouth and rude and worse of all aggressive. We have seen instances of such behaviour on the streets, in the shops, but generalization is not a good idea ever. This was amply displayed by this incidence.
But, yesterday we got our first taste of aggression on the streets of Bangalore. We decided to go for the movie 'Chak De' at the nearest Innovative Multiplex. As was expected, it took us a good 15 minutes to just get parking and walk back to the Multiplex. After the movie as we headed back, the clouds burst open and it started to pour. To prevent everyone from getting drenched, my Brother-In-Law(BIL) asked us to wait near the hall as he got the car out of parking. Again it took him a mighty 30 minutes to get it out and bring it to the entrance of the hall. Once all of us were in, we painfully proceeded on the service lane clogged with the cars going both ways, and the downpour only made matters worse.
Suddenly, we heard someone bang on the left side of the car. BANG is what I should say!!. As the cars inched forward, he perhaps thought we were going to somehow zoom out of that standstill traffic and escape him. He banged the back of the car and 'BANG BANG' on the right side. He tried to pry open the drivers door, but it was locked. My Father-in-law was furious, but my BIL was very sensible. He asked that guy to wait, and opened the door. And even before that agitated youngster could utter a single word, my BIL said, "Sorry" ( he had no idea for what ). Now the funniest part is, my BIL is a well built man with a 6ft frame, and this guy was a thin scraggly fellow. We all waited with bated breath to hear, what was it that we had inadvertently done, that had agitated this man so much.
But the first words that he uttered were 'Do you know who I am ?'
So that was what it was, he didn't know who he was and wanted us to help him out !
Jokes, apart, it was his ego which we had somehow hurt, because he didn't look physically hurt in any manner, and standing in the rain, making his egotistical point, he was now thoroughly drenched. My BIL said sorry once again and then I think this man took a look inside the car. There were these three ladies in the back, two with a kid on their lap each, and the third one , my Mother-in-law, sitting with folded hands. She told him to let the matter go. Somehow that seemed to do the trick to placate him and he just folded his hands, and moved back and went away.
We were left wondering what was it all about. We will never find out what really happened, but we got our first taste of the 'Bangalore Temperament'. We still don't know who he was, so if he asks us the next time, we still won't be able to help him.
I am not generalizing here, maybe he didn't belong to Bangalore after all !
But, yesterday we got our first taste of aggression on the streets of Bangalore. We decided to go for the movie 'Chak De' at the nearest Innovative Multiplex. As was expected, it took us a good 15 minutes to just get parking and walk back to the Multiplex. After the movie as we headed back, the clouds burst open and it started to pour. To prevent everyone from getting drenched, my Brother-In-Law(BIL) asked us to wait near the hall as he got the car out of parking. Again it took him a mighty 30 minutes to get it out and bring it to the entrance of the hall. Once all of us were in, we painfully proceeded on the service lane clogged with the cars going both ways, and the downpour only made matters worse.
Suddenly, we heard someone bang on the left side of the car. BANG is what I should say!!. As the cars inched forward, he perhaps thought we were going to somehow zoom out of that standstill traffic and escape him. He banged the back of the car and 'BANG BANG' on the right side. He tried to pry open the drivers door, but it was locked. My Father-in-law was furious, but my BIL was very sensible. He asked that guy to wait, and opened the door. And even before that agitated youngster could utter a single word, my BIL said, "Sorry" ( he had no idea for what ). Now the funniest part is, my BIL is a well built man with a 6ft frame, and this guy was a thin scraggly fellow. We all waited with bated breath to hear, what was it that we had inadvertently done, that had agitated this man so much.
But the first words that he uttered were 'Do you know who I am ?'
So that was what it was, he didn't know who he was and wanted us to help him out !
Jokes, apart, it was his ego which we had somehow hurt, because he didn't look physically hurt in any manner, and standing in the rain, making his egotistical point, he was now thoroughly drenched. My BIL said sorry once again and then I think this man took a look inside the car. There were these three ladies in the back, two with a kid on their lap each, and the third one , my Mother-in-law, sitting with folded hands. She told him to let the matter go. Somehow that seemed to do the trick to placate him and he just folded his hands, and moved back and went away.
We were left wondering what was it all about. We will never find out what really happened, but we got our first taste of the 'Bangalore Temperament'. We still don't know who he was, so if he asks us the next time, we still won't be able to help him.
I am not generalizing here, maybe he didn't belong to Bangalore after all !
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