Aug 23, 2007

Why should girls have all the fun?

At the outset, let me state categorically that I have nothing against women. I adore them. I admire them. When I was younger, I even used to whistle at some of the better looking specimens. And to be very frank, they do make for good eye-candy. I am yet to fall for one (not for any lack of interest or effort from my part though).

But some days, I just hate them for their hypocrisy. From the bottom of my heart. Today was one of those days.

I am standing in the queue for a ‘shared taxi’ with my friend, at Churchgate station. For some reason best known to the taxi union and the RTO, they have deemed that the wonderful ladies should not travel with lowly creatures such as males, while they go to work. So, they have ensured that there are 2 queues, one general, and another ‘ladies only’. (Please note, it is not a ‘gents only’ versus ‘ladies only’; a ‘general queue’ versus ‘ladies only’). I have absolutely no issues with that. Though I would love to travel with some of the lovelier ones, I am willing to allow them their exclusive cabs.

What I do have an issue with is that, while no guy dares to interfere in their queue, lots of them happily come and stand in the ‘general queue’, along with their sundry husbands, boyfriends, brothers and bosses. (Ok, before you start accusing me of implying that only guys are bosses, let me state that I am yet to see a lady boss come and travel with her subordinate; I see lots of lady underlings happily cling to their bosses). I do not appreciate them breaking into our line, but I grin and bear it. (Do I have a choice?).

But what makes me really loath them, is that when the taxis arrive, 5 out of 6 will go for the ladies’ queue. Yes, we get one, they get five. Now, I pay the same fare as she does. I go the same distance as she does. Economically, the taxi driver has no ‘incentive’ to go to the ladies’ queue. He may have his own reasons, but I suspect he is thinking like a typical guy. Why not combine business with pleasure? Why not enjoy some good company (typically fair, slim, smelling nice, all smiles) instead of ferrying sweaty, overweight males? I am ok with the taxi drivers’ mentality. In fact, in his place, I would have probably done the same.

What I have an issue with is the girls' hypocrisy. I look at one, smile appreciatingly and that is called 'eve teasing'. The taxi driver looks at them, smiles appreciatingly, and goes to their queue and that is called 'chivalry'?

When I see a ladies only coach in a Mumbai local going empty while men hang from their fingertips; when I see ‘ladies only’ seats in a bus which are occupied by fully fit (courtesy all those gym sessions) happily seated while some senior citizen guy gets jolted around in the crowd; when I see girls being allowed free entry into discs and clubs; when I see 33% reservation demands in Parliament; when I see an unspoken ‘quota’ in certain colleges; when I see the government giving free education, not on the basis of your economic status, but based on your gender; when I see all these things, I ask myself: Is this what they call ‘equality’?

I mean, either you can call yourselves equal and compete with the rest; or accept that you are inferior, and ask for privileges. You can’t have your cake and hope to remain slim too. First, you proudly proclaim that women are equal, nay superior, to men. That, you have better emotional understanding to actually manage businesses. Then, you turn around and ask for separate queues, separate seats, free entry, concessions and what not? This, dear ladies, is just not done.


That is why I have decide to brand you the ‘unfair’ sex.

7 comments:

  1. Who says that life is fair ? Its not! and it never will be. So, accept it, screw them (literally) and move on !

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  2. Kudos !!
    To put such things so mildly needs a great key board in some worthy hands..I am not sure about spiderman's idea of literally screwing them - as there are 2 possible consequences - either you are charged with rape (recent SC order says even in the absence of concluding medical evidence, victim's confession is paramount) or you just don't get a chance to go near. Either way then you are left screwed.
    If possible do screw them without letting it harm you, but most of the times as they remain outside the mere mortal territory - just ignore them.
    Life has never been fair, and in India to a general caste male its tougher than fighting Napeolian at the battlefields.

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  3. @ spidey:
    Life is not fair - agreed.
    Screw them - wud luv to, but don hv the... guts.
    Move on - I can move on only if they get out of my f***ing way

    @ Stam da:
    what SC order was this? u mean, some gal can just walk up and say "He raped me" and u can be put in jail (or hanged?) for that... no proof needed?
    I mean, under normal circumstances, no girl would claim a false rape, but then, even if 0.001% do...assuming 500m women in India, with 60% in the relevant age group, we are looking at a possibility of 300000 false convictions... that is scary!

    As for "u dont get a chance to go near"... it is pretty simple... become a taxi driver!

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  4. @ SRK...
    I am not sure under what circumstances SC pronounced the verdict but the bottomline was - in cases where sufficient corroborative evidence were not avialable yet prima facie the rape is a probabilistic scenario, victim's testimony would be taken as sacroscant.
    I am not sure about the far reaching potential of the misuse, but yes we are potentially looking at the tempting figure of your calculation.

    As far as being a cabby is concerned, I am yet to procure a DL, but once that is done could think of the suggesstion..[:)]..But considering my luck, I might land up carrying fat bellyed males as well..

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  5. dude... that is absolutely true... women are a separate species altogether and their is no point understanding them and their hypcrisy... i had actually written a post, but i dint publish it as i dint want to get hanged for being an "MCP"...

    taxi driver job is pretty interesting, especially i can visualize the nana patekar-john abraham song from 9211... that wud be too good to be true... :D

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  6. I think the fairer gender is underrepresented in the comments section - so without asking for any reservations I will add my 2 cents worth :D
    I thoroughly beg to disagree! I have seen the way men behave when the ladies compartment in trains is available to them... they are absolute perverts! As for that shared cab - dude - if u were a girl Im sure u wudnt want to be stuck in there with random dudes...who are not exactly "gentlemen"...
    All this only makes me wanna join a Karate class! And this - in Mumbai which is supposed to be the safest in India for women...I shudder to think of what its like in other cities man!
    - Mallika

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  7. This (comments section) is one space whr I'd happily give reservation to more gals... :D

    considering tht there are no lewd graffiti in the general compartment, dont u think that the 'perverts' u mention are other SRKs who cant blog abt their misery... and resort to more creative ways of expression?

    and if u don like travellin wid random guys, wht makes u think we like travellin wid random gals? (ok, mebbe we do, perverts tht we r) but i never objected to different lines... as long as equal number of taxis come to both lines!

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