What ails BEST ?

Alt. title : Dogs of the BEST

This can be also read in context/continuation to the previous blog, also on the BEST.

The employees and management at BEST are the ones who have runied this fine orgranisation. Throw in some political powers and lecherous corporators and youve ensured the failure of the setup.

There is some basic economics and sense in saying that there is no free lunch. More so in a poor country like ours. Its a known fact that even airlines dont offer outright free airline seats to its employees. They have to avail of the facility if seats remain, after regular paying passengers have been accomodated.

So should be the case with the BEST. There used to be some kind of 'rule' that was pasted in the buses, which said that not more than two uniformed staff members (beside the conductor and driver) can travel on the bus. This obviously was scorned by the cadres and soon pressure might have mounted on the BEST to remove the 'rule' from the bus at least. And so it was done, the result being that bonafide fare-paying passengers are deprived of knowning their rights while travelling in the bus. The rule still 'exists' I think.

As a classic example, take the scenario at Deonar Depot. Close to the timings of shifts you can see hoards of BEST staffers cramming into every bus in sight. Getting in from the front doors and stopping buses before and after the regular stops. This is done with impunity and the regular hapless bonafide fare-paying passengers are deprived of seats for which theyve paid. The bus conductors obviously support their own dogs and look the other way. Infact some go to the extent of indicating to the staffers, seats that are likely to be vacated and this makes the staffers poition themselves strategically inside the bus. As far as the blue topis are concerned, the less said the better. If they had more brains, theyd have joined some other place, not the BEST.

The other day one of their own son-of-the-soil co-passengers gave the conductor an earful on this issue. The conductor was raped left and right and was left speechless. So were the other "Dogs of BEST" who had occupied seats.

This issue is relevant more on those routes which are long and passengers would like to sit. But alas, most of Bombay and Mumbai is bsaed on the chalta-hai attitude since the city is full of in-transit and uncommited population (more on this in a another post).

BEST employees suck. They are definetely one of the most unprofessional outfits in the city.