Date:06/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/06/stories/2007110660020200.htm

Andhra Pradesh

A boon or a bane

It is one annoying call on the mobile that almost everyone hates to answer. With rise in telemarketing, phone users are put to great inconvenience while travelling, in official meetings, etc. and such is the disturbance that even magistrates are not spared.

A mobile court magistrate was prosecuting auto drivers for tampering with meters and other violations recently and suddenly he received a call on his mobile, urging him to accept subscription of a credit card.

Irritated by the call, the magistrate replied “You people do not have common sense of when to call a person. First you tell me your contact phone number so that I will register a case against you and your company.” If this was the plight of a judge, then imagine the hardship of a common man who receives such calls day-in and day-out.

It was a blessing in disguise. Thanks to the auto strike, the traffic police heaved a sigh of relief albeit for a few days.

Always busy regulating heavy vehicular traffic on the arterial roads, the police did spend some relaxed moments with thousands of autos going off the roads that ensured smooth flow of traffic. Motorists travelled without any problem even at the busy j unctions like Punjagutta and Ameerpet.

“We used to face the wrath of senior officials and road-users for traffic chaos everyday. But from Tuesday last, we enjoyed the work,” a police constable remarked.

But the joy was short-lived. While commuters relaxed at the sight of autos in full numbers on the roads, the cops were back to where they ought to be. On their feet and at bustling traffic junctions.

The purpose of a dog show is to evaluate how well the canines are looked after and trained. However, the dogs participating in the 75th and 76th Platinum Jubilee All Breeds Championship Dog Show, were also tested for their sun-tolerance.

The pedigree dogs accustomed to air-conditioned environs, had to put up with hot sun blazing all over them. While a few trainers brought A/C kennels, most of them either wrapped their pets in wet towels or held umbrellas for them. Professional knowledge suggests that the breeds from cold climates cannot tolerate sun. This is the reason why many dog shows are conducted in the evenings. Hope is that the organisers will learn a lesson next time. Otherwise, the only canines to be assessed will be our own street dogs.

S. SANDEEP KUMAR, M. SRINIVAS AND SWATHI V.