The Pauper at the Airport

Nov 19, 2016

[As we go cashless, our dependency on the smooth working of technologies which support such services becomes absolute. But in a country like ours, who can ensure that they work when we need them the most? And what are its consequences on people’s life, if not long-term but in the short-term. Are we prepared for such situations? An event from my yesterday’s experience….]

Mid-presentation, I caught my associate gesturing at his watch indicating that we were getting late; the fear in his eyes were unavoidable. By 3.15 PM the thought of missing my 6.40 flight had not crossed my mind even once. With 30 kms to do in 2 hrs wasn’t something I would have worried normally, but then you are at Noida, Sector 15 and you have to go to Indira Gandhi International Airport in peak traffic. My associate explained that here distance is expressed just not in terms of time but by time of the day.

With my personal record of only two missed flights in last six days, I chose to let him have his way and we rushed. We abandon our cab, buy tickets in the Metro Rail, hop onto the first one heading towards Rajiv Chowk and for the first time Metro seemed tad slow. We changed to a cab to reach IGIA in time. 100 meters on the road you get a taste of the traffic and the possibility of me missing the plane was now getting more real with each passing moment. By 5.35 I took a call and cancelled my ticket. Luckily got a seat in the 10.20 flight. Heart racing less now, I tried to bring my thoughts together and realised that there is clear 4 hours to wait at the airport.

For many, airports are just one of the many processes one has to undergo to reach one's destination. You barely look around the airport unless you get laid over or are waiting for your next connecting international flight. We have somehow become passive to the people and the things around us. But this time with 4 hours to spend,to soak in the hyperactivities of the airport was the only available timepass (sic).

Like most of their brethren outside the air-conditioned atmosphere of the airport the difficulties faced by the passengers were similar. Two SBI ATMs had not less than 50 people each; all trying to withdraw cash. I failed to understand two things – one, while standing in a queue why can’t people stand little farther from each other and two, why does a person travelling in air needs cash and he agrees to stand in a long queue. Dismissing both the things as a very Indian reaction to any scarcity situation I strolled towards the food court to grab some evening snacks.

Selected a Subway counter for a plate of salad. Watching others making food decisions can be quite interesting - some are so sure and some so vacillating with their choices. The counter-hand patiently handles each one of them with a mix of sincerity and nonchalance. Just when my order was getting done, an animated discussion just ahead in the queue caught my attention. The young man just ahead of me in the queue had paid through his card and while he has already got a debt notification from his bank the POS device of the merchant still shows that the transaction couldn’t be effected. Both were trying to convince the other by showing the notifications on their respective screens. The experience of the man at the counter in handling such situations prevailed when he declared that now onwards no card payment is possible as the servers have jammed up. The young man by now angry and hungry backed off.

Looking at the condition of both the parties and the logjam they had created for themselves, I volunteered to pay for his sandwich. Surprised and embarrassed by my offer to buy food the young man was left speechless for a while and the counter hand on being ordered by me to do so proceeded with billing for both the orders together. I paid in cash and took delivery of both the food portions and handed over the sandwich to the young man.

The man surprised by this gesture of mine tried to utter few sentences which had no definite purpose or logic. He himself was quite jumbled up with the sudden turn of events. He was apologetic for receiving free food from an unknown man and at the same time he was hungry enough to refuse the only chance of his getting some food. He explained, how he has money in his account but is forced into this situation just because the card doesn’t work. I cut him short by telling him that it’s a small gesture of help and doesn’t merit so much of explanation and went for the nearest vacant seat leaving the young man in multiple emotions.

While I chewed onto the colourful fresh vegetables on my plate I tried to describe the situation of this young man. The Pauper at the Airport? The Man who could fly but not buy his food? The possibility of having such momentary paupers not just at the airport but anywhere and everywhere when the country goes cashless looks dreadfully real.