Honest, selfless and efficient society?

Recently, I had an unpleasant experience on a BMTC bus which got me thinking about the larger problems in our society. 

I took a bus to office on Friday. The board at the front of the bus clearly mentioned that the bus was going towards HAL. But, when I asked for a ticket to Leela Palace (on the way to HAL), I was surprised to hear from the conductor that the bus was not travelling on that route. He told me that there was another board (behind the board?) which mentioned that the bus was going towards Ulsoor and so I had to get down midway. 

Since I had boarded the bus, I had no option but to buy a ticket. The conductor quietly pocketed Rs. 5, returned the change and did not issue a ticket. When I asked him for a ticket, he said that I dont need one since I was getting down at the next stop!! When I persisted, he asked me to pay Rs. 2 extra for the ticket which I did after some argument :(

So, what did I learn?

1. As a community, we don't take care of small things that could make a huge difference. Customer service is clearly ignored by most public utility service departments. The mistake was clearly the conductor's. He should have put a proper board which would have saved me time and money! If every person does his job honestly and efficiently, society as a whole will be a better place.

2. Most of us think of short term wins like the conductor. He tried to coax me into travelling without a ticket which would help him pocket the money without paying it to BMTC. This is small change compared to the crores that some politicians make, nevertheless this is a malady. How can we expect people in power to be honest when the people who vote them are corrupt themselves? In the long run, it will come back and haunt us in some way or the other.

3. Lastly, we tend to forgive and forget easily. In the situation that I was in, it made sense to register a complaint with BMTC against the conductor on two counts - negligence of duty and corrupt practices. Isn't it our duty to ensure that such situations do not arise again? Are we too busy or just indifferent?

Well, I did not register the complaint and that guilt probably made me write this blog. So the next time you face such a situation, do take time to register a complaint and have faith in the process :)