Monday 10 November, 2008

The True 'I' Phone

Every phone that I look at, has some disappointment in store. Doesn't have GPS. Or doesn't have WiFi, or doesn't have a good enough camera, or doesn't have a good battery life, etc.
How about Nokia (could be anyone actually, including Google and Apple) introducing a micro-site that lets registered users drag and drop the style, shape and features that they want, which then gets shipped in say 30 days. If Dell can do it, if car companies can do it, so can mobile manufacturers.

Mumbai Taxis - How About Comfortable Sedans?

The Government of Maharashtra has approved the Maruti Suzuki Omni and the Hyundai Santro as replacements for the good old Premier Padminis.
The Omni as a Taxi is like an auto rickshaw on four wheels. The Santro is going to be cramped. Have they forgotten that we don't want a point-to-point people mover that either has suspension built for carrying goods or a cramped hatchback that can't be of much use at Airports or Railway stations? Imagine lifting a huge bag on the roof of the Santro. Because the back will house the CNG tank.
The approved vehicles can at best be great for 5 rupee share-a-cab rides.
Question: Why doesn't the Government use part of the cess and tax collected on fuel sales, and the ever-increasing toll charges to part-subsidize the overhaul of the Taxi fleet? The excuse that this money is being is being used to improve roads and infrastructure is not quite palatable any more.
Suggestions: Tata Indigo CS, Renault Logan, maybe even a stripped down Swift DZire.

Irony

On 21st October 2008, Raj decides to target the North Indians working in Mumbai. I land from Chennai and get the news that the Mumbai shutdown is indeed serious, and there is no way to go from airport to home, a ride of Rs40 by Auto and Rs 90 odd by Taxi.
So me, the Maharashtrian, requests North Indian cool cabbie from UP to drop me. He, cooly, demands Rs500 for the 'riks' to be taken. No one else is agreeing to leave the airport taxi stand.
After humming and hawwing and realising the irony of the whole situation, I agree.
So now I've decided to hire a non-maharashtrian driver, cook, domestic help and so on as my little way of balancing the moronic anti-Indian behaviour by the politically motivated.