The Chase

Was it fate that came chasing or destiny,
For whatever it was it had a harsh toll over the years........
For a free bird jailed for life.

My tryst with ‘BSNL Chennai’…….

Around mid 2007 I decided to move to Chennai from Coimbatore. I stayed in a house in Ashok Nagar with a friend of mine. Initially I took a Tata Indicom internet connection.  I decided to change to a BSNL connection mid way and thus began my tryst with BSNL (the one and only) Chennai.

I was working the night shift at that time. I came back from the night shift one afternoon and was informed by my house owner that some guys from BSNL have been enquiring about a Santosh Kumar…….and they finally figured it out that it was a Satish Kumar that they were after. My house owner immediately warned me not to take a BSNL connection because these guys are unreliable. He also gave me another warning, he asked me not to give one paisa in bribe if they ask after installing the connection.

Two BSNL guys Muthu and Selvam (names have been changed to protect privacy) installed the new telephone and since I had my own modem they asked me to configure it myself. Then they cornered me in my little room asking for money.  Against the warning of my house owner I decided to trust my instincts and gave the guys Rs 100 and asked to split it amongst themselves.

Since these guys had asked me to configure the modem myself I tried and like you guessed couldn’t configure it. So I went to the BSNL office near my room to meet the Assistant Engineer (AE). A guy (the door security) directed me to go upstairs and go to a certain room. I went upstairs and got lost and accidently went into a different room. Whom do you think I found there?? The one and only Muthu (the senior guy) who had installed the telephone. You might ask what is wrong in finding a BSNL guy in his own office. You must know the state I found him in. He was lying down in his office on the floor and sleeping. And this was at 11 AM in the morning. Can you believe it…..!!!??? This happens ‘only in BSNL Chennai, India yaar…….!’

Eventually I found the AE but he couldn’t figure out how to configure my modem, I subsequently got the help of my friend who is a Tech Support guy and configured it. My tryst with BSNL Muthu (my nemesis in BSNL) did not end there. After a few months I got a problem with my modem and had to file a complaint. Meanwhile one thing had happened which I forgot to mention. I was staying downstairs when the connection was given. Eventually a room upstairs got vacated and I moved in there. I moved the telephone and the phone wire myself and set up a connection upstairs myself.

Muthu comes in the next day and fixes the problem with the modem. I don’t want to get into the details, but it was a very minor one. He asked me money for tea (Tea’kku Kasu Kodunga Sir). I willingly gave him Rs10 for his tea. While going out he casually threw me a warning. He told me that he had given the connection downstairs and the address where I am staying now is different, if he wants he can file a ‘door locked’ memo and delay fixing my modem for a few days……..!!! Can you believe it guys…..??!!!  I was too stunned to answer. I eventually recovered and said that ‘Anna you are my savior I am sure you won’t do anything like that.’ He was placated and left. So on hindsight my paying a bribe (of Rs 110/- only…..!!!) paid off I guess.

End of story or is it an endless one in BSNL…..only you have to answer.

Please feel free to leave your comments and experiences.

P.S

But otherwise BSNL is the best and cheapest provider of Internet and phone service in India. My personal experience with them has been the best. My diatribe is only against the BSNL personnel and not against BSNL itself. I also know of many BSNL staff who are very friendly and go out of their way to help people.

                                                       

                     Also my BSNL connection was far better than the TATA INDICOM one that I had before. The Tata Indicom one had frequent disconnections. The reason they used to give was ‘cable cut’ (I still don’t know how the cable gets cut at least 7 times in a month minimum). I had the BSNL connection for about 2 yrs and in all those years I had only one or two disconnections. Also they have the 500C plan which gives 175 free calls and unlimited download between 2 am and 8 am in the morning. It is a very good and well thought out plan for guys like me who are on a tight budget. So here in an oxymoronic statement…..’LONG LIVE BSNL’.

He wept with Joy,
He wept with Sorrow,
He wept with Ecstasy,
He wept with the joy of having found what he was always looking for.......
Himself.

STIIIIILL u r SINGLE...? Yes...Why do U care...??

I created this ad, but it could not be published because of political repercussions. This is one of my favorite Ads, it is my cheeky take on guys who are single and the pressure they face in society!

Three Monkeys.......

I would like to start my blog by asking a simple question......??

Have you ever wondered why it is that, when we don't want to see we can close our eyes, when we don't want to speak we can close our mouth, but......when we don't want to hear we can't close our ears.