Above: New Delhi commuters use the fence outside the Metro station while the facilities inside are being restricted for 'other' use.
Humour
Only in India, You Say?
GIRISH K. N. YADAV
DELHI FOLLIES
POSTCARD # 6 FROM THE BIZARRES OF INDIA
New Delhi’s Metro has found a better use for its washrooms, while the commuters dutifully continue to use the open air and public spaces to “answer calls of nature”.
It appears that the private sanitation staff at the subway stations of India’s capital city are now putting the facilities to optimum use -- namely, for prostitution.
Not a bad idea.
The facilities are slightly cleaner than the great outdoors of India. Surely, better use can be -- should be! -- made of them.
And then, what are commuters to do while waiting for the trains, which seem to be getting a bit more laggardly by the day? [Where’s Mussolini when you need him?]
Apparently, according to news reports, an investigation has been ordered, following a sting operation by a local TV channel showing the sanitation staff charging money in order to allow “couples” to “spend some time” in the washrooms.
"The CD of the news report shown by a television channel has been handed over to DMRC's Chief Security Commisioner for investigations. If any one is found involved in any such wrongdoing, very stern action will be taken against the guilty," Anuj Dayal, DMRC Executive Director, Corporate Communications, said.
The washrooms of the Delhi Metro stations are -- conveniently! -- maintained and managed by private operators, Dayal said.
The sting video showed a member of the toilet cleaning staff at a metro station demanding Rs.500 from a reporter who approached him as a decoy customer seeking space in the washroom for himself and a woman accompanying him.
If this doesn’t make our country world class, what does?
Will this help us reduce the rate of rapes (one every 20 minutes) for which our nation has become so world-renowned? Just wondering ...
[Based on report by India Today.]
September 18, 2013
Conversation about this article
1: Kanwarjeet Singh (USA), September 19, 2013, 12:22 AM.
If the Swiss can have their own drive-through brothels, India can do better! It's 'Shining India!", remember?
2: H. Kaur (Canada), September 19, 2013, 5:12 AM.
So I guess if some poor tourist didn't know any better and tried using these facilities, he or she would really be risking their safety. Nice to know, not that I am planning on visiting any time soon.