Strategic Begging in Mumbai

Dadar station, Mumbai.

The route: All frequent travelers of the Mumbai local train adopt a fix pathway between getting in to the station and catching the train. They enter the station, go upstairs, walk towards some platform no., go downstairs and reach the final place for boarding. Over some period of day to day travel, the path gets fixed. Normally, one does not deviate for more than 2 meters either side.

The gait: In the rush time, those who walk through the sides walk fast. The others who walk at the central area look down and take small steps because of the rush.

The state of mind: Not much interest in what's around. The only goal is the train to catch.
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Given the context, lets see how beggars work:

It was first week of May. There wasn't much rush as it was a Saturday evening. I saw a blind Hindu beggar saying 'bhagwan tera bhala karega' when i was walking on the sides. There was a poor lady lying down with her child and begging at the central area.

Point 1: The blind guy was standing in the way to slow people down and make them notice what he says. The lady was lying down as people are slow at center.

Last Saturday, there were two fresh faces. A new blind guy standing on the sides at the exact same place, but this time, a Muslim guy, saying 'Allah'. In the central area was an old man lying down at the exact same place. He was weak and had a plaster on his leg and some support on his belly.

Point 2: Notice the change in religion. A new dose of religion for people who take that path.

Point 3: On the other side, there was a dose of emotion. Change from a poor lady with a weak baby to a suffering old man.

Point 4: Notice the week's time they take to shuffle. They might have arrived at this figure after repeated permutations and combination to maximize the income. Given the non- deviation from the path of a traveler and the state of mind, one week actually sounds about right. In a week, one would normally notice the fresh dose of emotion & religion and give away a tip.

One sad reality is that out of the blind beggars i have noticed, most seem to suffer from similar accident. It reminds of what i have seen in many bollywood movies but would not like to mention here. Although, the business aspect of begging shown in movies may be very true.

Sad, but strategic !

Let's see who comes next Saturday ..

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Update: my theory works !! .. saw that blind Muslim guy at Andheri station today .. must have shifted last Saturday ..

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Cricket Commentators ..

What's prompted me to write this is the stating-the-obvious and irritating nature of some commentators:

X-Batsman, Y-Bowler.

Situation 1: X couldn't middle it, but it's one bounce to the fielder in the deep extra cover. 2 runs.

Ravi Shashtri (cunning): "Chance for a catch. No, it lands short. They'll have to hurry for 2. Safe"

Harsha Bhogle (smart): "Up in the air, the fielder takes it in one bounce. One bounce, one hand, that would have been out in GULLY cricket"

Tony Greig (The master): (shouts)That could be out !!!! .. no it's 2 runs.

Arun Lal (garbage): "That was not a good shot, couldn't middle it, not any foot movement, this has been his problem for a long time now, good fielding by the fielder, throw comes in, batsmen have to run hard and they did, it's 2 more runs for X, but lucky, he should not take risk right now"

LSRK (Laxman Siva Rama Krishnan, the whining god): "It counld be a boundaryn, no no, it counld be a cantch, no it fenll shonrt, it's a single, no no, it's two runs"

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Situation 2: X hits a clean six over the extra cover.

Ravi Shashtri: "Bannnnng !, Stands tall and it's gone 100 miles .. "

Harsha: (shouts)"What a shot ! .. whhat aa shott ! Y will have to do something special now"

Tony Greig: (shouts)Oh Boy ! It's gone, gonnee, smashed out of the park for a six !!!!!

Arun Lal: "That was not a bad ball by Y, but look at X, look at the way he middles it, look how fast the bowl is travelling, its gone far, magnificent shot by X. I think this is a good innings"

LSRK: After 10 seconds "Thant wans an goond shont, thant wans certainlyn an goond shont, a wenll densenrvend sinx"

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What will guys like Sunil Gavaskar, Ramiz Raja, Geoffery Boycott, Michael Holding etc. say in these situations? .. anybody?

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