Hey kids! It's raves & rants time! Just a quick one each:
RAVE:
No guns! I haven't read a single story that I can recall about someone getting shot here. Most of the police don't even carry guns. Senior officers can carry pistols, and the night officers who stroll the neighborhood streets carry these single-load old school rifles, but that's about it. Everyone else speaks softly and carries a big wooden baton called a lathi. I have read a couple of articles where the police have had to subdue large crowds, so they do this maneuver called a "lathicharge" where they make a line and rush forward thumping everything in sight. Sounds harsh, but it works pretty well. And worst case, even a broken arm is better than a hole in the head.
RANT:
No change! This one I still can't understand... The exchange rate is ~44 rupees to the US dollar. That means that having a 100 rupee note is about the same as $2. Most ATMs spit out Rs. 500 & 100 notes -- completely reasonable denominations. What's maddening is the number of times that I've had to go around to strangers and ask them to break my 100 rupee note because the register doesn't have enough change!
Example 1: I buy a cold coffee from Barista (the Indian Starbucks) for Rs. 60 and hand them a 100... sorry, not enough change. Example 2: I take a rickshaw for Rs. 20 and give him a 50... he's not carrying *any* change, so I have to go ask the watermelon cart for change. Example 3: I was at a very nice restaurant/bar last night and wanted to take a rickshaw home, so I go to the bar to get change for my 100, knowing the rickshaw driver won't have change. What?! Even the bar of this upscale establishment doesn't keep enough change on hand! Example 4: I'm starving at work the other night, so I consider ordering a pizza. I continue starving because all I have is a 500 rupee note, the pizza only costs 250, and there's no way the delivery guy is carrying any change.
Does everyone have metathesiophobia? (Fear of change -- bad pun :-)
A helpful hint for future visitors: if you get currency converted in the airport, make sure they give you small denominations too!
RAVE:
No guns! I haven't read a single story that I can recall about someone getting shot here. Most of the police don't even carry guns. Senior officers can carry pistols, and the night officers who stroll the neighborhood streets carry these single-load old school rifles, but that's about it. Everyone else speaks softly and carries a big wooden baton called a lathi. I have read a couple of articles where the police have had to subdue large crowds, so they do this maneuver called a "lathicharge" where they make a line and rush forward thumping everything in sight. Sounds harsh, but it works pretty well. And worst case, even a broken arm is better than a hole in the head.
RANT:
No change! This one I still can't understand... The exchange rate is ~44 rupees to the US dollar. That means that having a 100 rupee note is about the same as $2. Most ATMs spit out Rs. 500 & 100 notes -- completely reasonable denominations. What's maddening is the number of times that I've had to go around to strangers and ask them to break my 100 rupee note because the register doesn't have enough change!
Example 1: I buy a cold coffee from Barista (the Indian Starbucks) for Rs. 60 and hand them a 100... sorry, not enough change. Example 2: I take a rickshaw for Rs. 20 and give him a 50... he's not carrying *any* change, so I have to go ask the watermelon cart for change. Example 3: I was at a very nice restaurant/bar last night and wanted to take a rickshaw home, so I go to the bar to get change for my 100, knowing the rickshaw driver won't have change. What?! Even the bar of this upscale establishment doesn't keep enough change on hand! Example 4: I'm starving at work the other night, so I consider ordering a pizza. I continue starving because all I have is a 500 rupee note, the pizza only costs 250, and there's no way the delivery guy is carrying any change.
Does everyone have metathesiophobia? (Fear of change -- bad pun :-)
A helpful hint for future visitors: if you get currency converted in the airport, make sure they give you small denominations too!
posted by jdmc at 1:53 AM
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