Those who have driven cars in a city would know all about cabbies and their attitudes towards driving. One classical attitude is seen when a cabbie cuts into one's lane without giving any signal. One gets irritated and honks loudly (actually the honking volume does not increase as per one's wish, the duration can). The cabbie understands the reason, and gives the appropriate signal for cutting into one's lane. He does not believe that a post facto signal is useless. He believes that once he has given a signal, he has done his job. So what if the signal followed the act?
The health university showed this attitude. It decided that postgraduate students must know how to carry out research, so that they can work on their dissertations. The circular came when the students had completed all work and submitted their dissertations to the university. As an afterthought, the university said it would allow them to appear for their examinations, but would withhold their results until they produced certificates as proof of having attended the prescribed course on research methodology. Attending a course even after the university exam was OK.
"Classical cabbie attitude" declared someone who disliked cabbies and university personnel equally."
There was this postgraduate student who was doing research on surgical infections. Somehow the work was not progressing as required. So the teacher asked,
"Are you taking all infected cases?"
"Yes."
"This woman with gaping abdominal would. Have you taken her as a subject?"
"Yes."
"Show me her consent form and her case record sheet."
"I have not yet taken her consent. I will take it when she gets cured and goes home."
"So you are studying her without her consent?" the teacher asked incredulously.
"That is what I do for all cases."
"Oh! Does your family own a fleet of cabs or something?" the teacher asked.
"No. Why?" the student asked.
"Post facto consent. Typical cabbie attitude!" the teacher said.
The civic body spent about five million rupees treating some accident victim, while the victim had been in a railway accident and the railways should have paid for that. One does not criticize the civic body if one plans to stay in the city limits. So no one criticized. But the funny part was that they put up the proposal for sanction of the expenses long after the money had been spent.
"Cabbie attitude!" roared someone in the media, who seemed to dislike cabbies and the civic body equally.
"What is your opinion on these things?" someone who told me these stories asked.
"I have no opinion to offer," I said "because I do not believe in judging anyone. But one of the reasons I gave up driving was the attitude of cabbies."
The health university showed this attitude. It decided that postgraduate students must know how to carry out research, so that they can work on their dissertations. The circular came when the students had completed all work and submitted their dissertations to the university. As an afterthought, the university said it would allow them to appear for their examinations, but would withhold their results until they produced certificates as proof of having attended the prescribed course on research methodology. Attending a course even after the university exam was OK.
"Classical cabbie attitude" declared someone who disliked cabbies and university personnel equally."
There was this postgraduate student who was doing research on surgical infections. Somehow the work was not progressing as required. So the teacher asked,
"Are you taking all infected cases?"
"Yes."
"This woman with gaping abdominal would. Have you taken her as a subject?"
"Yes."
"Show me her consent form and her case record sheet."
"I have not yet taken her consent. I will take it when she gets cured and goes home."
"So you are studying her without her consent?" the teacher asked incredulously.
"That is what I do for all cases."
"Oh! Does your family own a fleet of cabs or something?" the teacher asked.
"No. Why?" the student asked.
"Post facto consent. Typical cabbie attitude!" the teacher said.
The civic body spent about five million rupees treating some accident victim, while the victim had been in a railway accident and the railways should have paid for that. One does not criticize the civic body if one plans to stay in the city limits. So no one criticized. But the funny part was that they put up the proposal for sanction of the expenses long after the money had been spent.
"Cabbie attitude!" roared someone in the media, who seemed to dislike cabbies and the civic body equally.
"What is your opinion on these things?" someone who told me these stories asked.
"I have no opinion to offer," I said "because I do not believe in judging anyone. But one of the reasons I gave up driving was the attitude of cabbies."
