Modernities of India

India certainly seems to be trying to modernize but it's people are far too confused by this modern world. They seem to impose new things without teaching people how to use it. Smart cards and smart tokens are one place. They understand the idea of tokens but the magic card seems to confuse them. They can't believe the idea of money in a card (ATMs?) and don't trust the system to keep their money. So they spend time standing in line to buy a "token" every time they travel.

Spending a few minutes near any escalator will keep you laughing for a while. Many of the people are horrified of using them. They stand at the bottom for minutes debating whether to get on - sometimes with themselves, sometimes with their fellow travelers. On my first day, I had to help 2 old women get on because they could barely walk and were opting for the 60 stairs instead. One of them doesn't even take the elevator because it might drop at any time. Couple of them seemed to be worried about the escalator switching from going up to down in the middle of their ride. I even saw one handicapped guy on crutches, taking the stairs instead, and had to convince him to get on the escalator. Their fears do seem justified. The same escalator at times goes up, at other times, goes down. Their fear that it might switch during the ride makes perfect sense.