Jump the queue & grease a few palms on your way

There’s something about a queue that manages to bring out the worst in Indians. We all hate it. Be it at ticket counters in stations, in elevators, supermarket counters, cinema halls, ATMs, etc, everyone wants to get his/ her work done first! Lack of social etiquette, manners and civic sense always reveal its’ ugly side when we stand in queues.

It was 2 pm on Monday. I went to apply for an Aadhaar card in Porur. The officer who was coordinating the enrollment process stepped out for lunch. Naturally, I had to wait. There were 12 people. A middle-aged woman was listening to Raasathi Manasula... (rather playing it for everyone in the room!)

There was a guy in his 20s talking loudly on the phone, and from the grin on his face, I assumed it was his girlfriend. I was writing something on my notepad, when a 55-year-old checked what I was writing. Why would she do that? Oh well! A few were busy with their smartphones. The rest were getting their doubts clarified from the staff. At 2.45 pm we were asked to get ready to scan the fingerprints and iris images for the card.

When everyone was standing in a line, a 40-year-old man in a blue shirt, jumped the queue, to stand first. Initially, I thought he had come back after lunch. But, no. I requested him to stand in the queue. He wanted to know who I was, and informed me that he had “already spoke to the authority” who asked him to jump the queue.

The “authority” he was referring to was Sudhakaran, an assistant to the sanitary inspector. He was sitting across the counter, and silently watching the scene unfold. I introduced myself and told him that it was not right for someone to jump the queue. He became belligerent and told me to mind my business, and stand in queue. I asked him about the guy who jumped the queue, and Sudhakaran became angry, and said, “He will do what he wants, and get his work done.”

Listening to our conversation, four others joined and supported me. But the assistant threatened the woman who was helping the enrollment process. “You better allow me to complete the procedures for this man. And don’t talk to this lady.” (pointing fingers at me)

I politely asked her the name of the assistant as he refused to talk to me further. “I am Sudhakaran. Why do you want to question me? Do all this where you work. I don’t care if you are from the press. This is how I am. Do whatever you can.”

Others standing in line got into heated arguments with him, but soon, they gave up, as they were tired and frustrated. Then, a staff (on the condition of anonymity) told me that this is common and happens almost every day in this office. 

“A lot of his friends and relatives have got their Aadhaar cards like this. As he works here, he thinks he can do as he pleases without following the rules,” he rued. “He’s nosy. If he comes back, he’ll scream at me. You please go!”

We talk about corruption on a large scale, where big money and bigger names are involved. But what about people at the community level who believe rules don’t apply to them. In this case, why did this guy jump the queue? Because he knew he was allowed. When we use our ‘influence’ in any form to get things done ‘faster’, we’re enabling in corruption.

(The piece was originally published for The New Indian Express)