Thursday, July 28, 2005

Generous Helpings of the Spirit of Mumbai

Will be posting here some heart-warming incidents that show the helpful spirit of Mumbai. As Amit Varma writes - "That’s one thing about Mumbai: people help each other, because they know that we’re all in it together. You look out for the guys around you, and they look out for you. It’s self-interest." If you people experienced anything similar, mail it to me and I'll post it here

$ At Khar Road, a Mullah with a flowing white beard was standing on the street with his legs spread wide apart. He was standing above an open manhole and directing people around it so no one would accidentally fall in.

$ Though the BMC was more concerned with pumping the water out of the Thackeray residence at Kalanagar, people living around Bandra took tea and snacks for several people stranded on the road.

$ A man noticed that an old man and his daughter, stranded alongside him at CST were lookign very worried. They weren't able to find an empty taxi, and they had to go to Byculla to pick up the wife who was to have an operation. This man walked to Gateway, found an empty taxi, and got it for the old man and his daughter.

$ Three men standing near the phone booth in Kalina market with their Reliance phones. Reliance's was the only network fucntional and these men offered the use of their phones to anyone who were not able to get through to their friends and families using the MTNL phones at the booth. The men must have easily run up bills in the hundreds, even thousands.