Respecting the space of others
Recently, I was travelling in the AC coach of a train with my family, and had to suffer the whims of my co-passengers.
There was a large family of about six adults and six children crammed in a 3 AC coach and they made noise equivalent to 20 -30 people. The children were misbehaving and shrieking and the adults made no attempt to quieten them. At 12 in the night, they were merrily shouting, complaining and feasting, when I had to remind them of the time and of the fact that all of us were trying to get some sleep.
On our return journey too, we faced people talking loudly into their mobiles at odd hours and disturbing the peace of the journey.
This got me thinking. When will we Indians learn to respect the space of our fellow countrymen?
We routinely go ahead enjoying ourselves at the expense of others, often totally ignoring the inconvenience of people around us. It seems they don't exist at all so long as they don't interfere with our idea of fun. Personal space? What is that? Spaces are meant to be violated.
In European countries in particular, people are extremely sensitive about their own and their fellow persons' space. Nowhere will you find them digressing into other people's territory while travelling by public transport or using public conveniences. They show the utmost regard for the privacy of their fellow persons.
But our countrymen are singularly lacking in this sensitivity. Let me enjoy, to hell with the world is the idea. And if kids are involved then people get a license to behave even more badly.
It is time we Indians learn how to behave in public, and curb our right to violate others' spaces. Freedom involves respecting the freedom of others too.
There was a large family of about six adults and six children crammed in a 3 AC coach and they made noise equivalent to 20 -30 people. The children were misbehaving and shrieking and the adults made no attempt to quieten them. At 12 in the night, they were merrily shouting, complaining and feasting, when I had to remind them of the time and of the fact that all of us were trying to get some sleep.
On our return journey too, we faced people talking loudly into their mobiles at odd hours and disturbing the peace of the journey.
This got me thinking. When will we Indians learn to respect the space of our fellow countrymen?
We routinely go ahead enjoying ourselves at the expense of others, often totally ignoring the inconvenience of people around us. It seems they don't exist at all so long as they don't interfere with our idea of fun. Personal space? What is that? Spaces are meant to be violated.
In European countries in particular, people are extremely sensitive about their own and their fellow persons' space. Nowhere will you find them digressing into other people's territory while travelling by public transport or using public conveniences. They show the utmost regard for the privacy of their fellow persons.
But our countrymen are singularly lacking in this sensitivity. Let me enjoy, to hell with the world is the idea. And if kids are involved then people get a license to behave even more badly.
It is time we Indians learn how to behave in public, and curb our right to violate others' spaces. Freedom involves respecting the freedom of others too.
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