Security Forces and Taj Mahal Hotel

Nah, I am not taking you back to that fateful day in November and write a rambling and critical note on the role of security forces on that fateful day. I am going to better than that and narrate two separate incidents. These are two separate incidents that seemed to be linked yet you cant pin-point the link.

The first incident happened at the terminal 1A of the Delhi Airport. As usual I was much ahead of time for the afternoon flight and approached the main entrance to the terminal at a leisurely space [1 oclock flights are always empty]. I had in my shirt pocket several A sheets neatly folded, these were various tickets etc. that one normally carries. I took out one A4 sheet and checked it an handed it over the to the CISF guard at the gate, he took 2 minutes to scrutinise it, asked for my photo id and fully satisfied let me go [I wonder where he was when someone flew on a ticket bought on my credit card for Kingfisher sometime back]. I walked confidently towards the check in counter, ut before that there was another CISF person double checking the tickets. Once again I fished into my pocket took out a A4 sheet and handed it over to hi. Once again he checked it for 2 mins reading all the details of Flight 887, matching the date, my name and much else. The he handed me back the ticket, smiled at me and let me pass. As I was folding the ticket to put it back in my pocket, I could not help but laugh out aloud. I could clearly read what the ticket said: Mumbai Central to Hazrat Nizamuddin AC1, 21 August. The ticket which let me through the second gate was my return train ticket for the next day! It came as a shock to me that the person who was inchage of checking tickets was not literate and he looked at all printed A4 sheets with some columns as a plane ticket.

The second incident happened the next day at Taj where the organisation I work for was holding a large confernce. With a view to getting some work done while listening to the speakers at the conference, I asked the ballroom incharge to provide me with a wireless password. He had no clue and promised to sent the "IT guy" across. The IT guy came soon and I requested for a password for a couple of hours. "Yes" he said and suggestively mentioned, "should I tell you the rates beforehand". I said Yes to that thinking to myself it cant surely be more than a couple of hunder rupees for an hour. To my shock I was told that the minimum charge was 2,500 Rs. I did not get the zeros wrong. I maintained my dignity and asked him if there was a lesser scheme. he said there is no scheme for ballroom. To which I sugested that I had booked the ballroom for the day and would up running a bill of at least 4 lakhs... does not that call for a scheme for me? No Sir, was the reply. I think since people have completely stopped hotel phones [remember those rip offs in the earlier era?], this is the new way some hotels are making money. What a sad commentary. If you want to make money out of internet charges why not start a chain of cyber cafes? why start a five star hotel?