January 27, 2012 at 11:35 pm · Posted On Me MySelf, Chennai, ideas ·
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Last night I was at Tambaram railway station to receive one of our guest. It took nearly 30 minutes for me to take a couple of platform tickets. There were more than 300 people standing on 3 queue to get tickets - platform , local train and the outstation ones. There were more than 50% of the counters closed. No Person in the railway department is bothered to open the closed counter to speed up the process. In one of the queue in which I was standing was very slow due to the slowness of the machine.
The lady in the counter uses a separate calculator to find out how much she needs to return to the person who gave a Rs 500 /= for a 270/- + ticket. Can’t we upgrade the software to do this job. This will cut short a lot a time. I believe we have this in every other software used in super market today. The best part is that I gave three two rupee coins to take a couple of platform tickets which costs Rs 3/- each and told her that I need two tickets. She pushed the Coins towards her coin tray and asked , “You want one ticket right?”. It was already 8 PM. I am not sure how long she is working in the counter or she is not interested in the job itself.
There was a machine which can provide local and Platform tickets. But one need to use only railway card to purchase tickets. Can’t we make the machine work with the Credit card and coins? That will reduce a lot of manual work and also reduce the waiting time.
December 21, 2009 at 12:21 pm · Posted On Me MySelf, Chennai ·
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Happened to be at T Nagar yesterday morning for a shopping. I was accompanied by one of my friend. It is Sunday and the parking was full even @ 10:00 AM in the morning. We got parking next to the Murugan Idly Kadai on GN Chetty Road. I havn’t been to Murugan Idly Kadai till then. So thought of checking it out.
We stepped in. It was a small place which can accomodate 35 to 40 people and was well air conditioned. The seats were 90% full almost for the whole time we were in the hotel. We took a corner table to start . We ordered two Idlies each and waited for 10 mins before we got it on the table. The idly was good and very soft. The Sambar didn’t have a very appealing taste. We went for two Dosas which took another ten minutes to land. The guys gave us plenty of Chutney for the idly and Dosa.
The climax came when the bills landed. It was Rs 98/= including tax. It is three times costlier than the hotels I take my breakfast.
Overall, the price is too costly. The Price sheet listed a coffee to be Rs 15/= and a single piece of idly to be 9. The taste is not worth the cost.
Cheers - Ranjith
August 21, 2009 at 8:20 pm · Posted On Chennai ·
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An important thing that gets missed in the railway station is the restrooms. A month back, I visited Egmore station for a send off. I was in need to use the rest room. With a philosophy not to use the ones in the trains parked at the station. I went to the near by shop and inquired about the presence of one in the platform. I was asked to go to the end of the platform. I walked for around 100 meters to see a Pay and Use toilet which is properly locked and sealed. I walked further down the track to complete my job in the Indian way.
Similar is the case with the Dustbins too. You have got no other choice than throwing it on to the track.
We should have at least
- Three to four restrooms [pay and use / Free ] for every platform.
- Dustbins should be placed every 10 meters.
Egmore has got an escalator for moving the passengers across. But the basic toilets were missed.
Cheers - Ranjith
February 2, 2009 at 2:27 pm · Posted On Me MySelf, Chennai ·
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Last Saturday night, I traveled in the MRTS for the first time. I took the train from Velachery to Park town. It was a nice travel which took just 30 minutes to land at the Park Town station. Everything was nice except that the train is little bit noisy than the Beach-TBM line. The person at the MRTS Ticket counter at velachery is pushing himself to speak only in English to me. On the contrary, I responded only in Tamil. I hate a Customer response person who talks in an alternative language than what Customer speaks.
I mostly saw only polluted water bodies, a lot of government housing boards and huts on the way to the Park Town. I feel I need to go in the train one more time during the day to have a good look at more of Chennai.
The best (worst) part came when I landed on the Park town station. The way out of the park town station is on the flyover that connects mount road with Poonamalli High (PH) road. I was guided by a co passenger to take this way. I am not sure whether there is any alternative to this. This way too had a pavement to walk down the flyover and a subway to cross the PH Raod to reach the central station. People on the contrary are walking on the middle of the road on the flyover and trying to cross the PH Road to reach central. It is literally no safety in the way people are crossing the road. It will for sure confuse the drivers coming towards Mount road from Central.
It will be good that the Chennai corporation takes proper action to make sure people take the regular way to reach the Central and vice versa. Proper fencing and lights can be made on the pavement down so that people are forced to use it.
Cheers - Ranjith
January 29, 2009 at 8:42 am · Posted On Chennai, India ·
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There will be N number of rash drivers who drive all day in huge traffic both rashly and with over speed.
But you know Police will stop you on the OMR [newly constructed 4 lane Toll Road ] of Chennai @ 2 AM in the morning for driving at a speed little over 40 Kmph.
I think they want to safe guard the animals which sleep on the toll road @ nights !!!
Cheers - Ranjith
