Queue- a known word for common man in India?? so ingrained in us

Queue now has become a problem and an issue for opposition. For the last 70 years common man has seen nothing but a Queue? 
my blog https://swayamkatha.wordpress.com/2016/11/15/queue-a-known-word-for-common-man-in-india-so-ingrained-in-us/

When I used to go for Ration shop often there was a long queue, very often we found shop closed, and we never got to know when next it will be open? So that I can come on that day.

From type one to IITK gate I used to go some time to get ration, wheat, sugar etc. But when I used to reach that shop, often it was closed or a long queue.

When I was unemployed, often I had to go to Banks to get a Bank draft. If you reach early, by early I mean early to 8 AM then you can think of getting bank draft earlier by 12 or noon. Sometimes bank employees used to ask us to come at 3pm by that time our bank draft was ready. It was later that reforms were introduced and few persons were authorised to sign the bank draft, then onwards we used to get bank draft early.

While filling the forms for CPMT or JEE exams there used to be large crowd at bank gate. I am talking about 1980s. At gate huge rush almost crushed into the grilled gate of bank, if you are lucky you can entre without any harm to body.

After filling those forms for examinations I used to go the Head Post Office at Barachauraha, Kanpur. At the speed post counter in the Post Office I had to face a big Queue. If they told to bring stamps then I had to stand in the queue for stamps. Later I came to know about Postal orders. There also I had to stand in a queue.

Most important was Hospital. I don’t think anyone can say that he has seen a hospital without any queue?? Now I am telling the scene not very back, but of most recent days 2004 or 2005. Doctor prescribed for blood test fasting. I reached the GB Pant Hospital. I saw a big crowd at 8 AM at the blood collection centre. I reached at 8 AM because I was told that blood will be collected at 8 AM. But I fainted at the sight of a big crowd.

Next day I reached at 7 AM, I was late there. As almost 50 or 60 persons were already there before me. I stood in that queue. After wait of almost 2 hours, that counter opened and a person started writing in register and started giving a test tube type thing. When I reached at counter it was almost 9.30  or 10 AM. Then whole of this crowd reached in that room where people were collecting the blood sample. Of course there was this queue. Cut off time for collection of blood sample is 10.30 AM. If I had to give two samples then I am asked to come after 1 and half hour after taking food. Thus if a person had to give his blood sample without taking a sip of water or tea and able to give his blood sample at 10 AM, think of the time he has to WAIT and all this in a queue. Then, again in a queue to give second sample of blood. After that for taking report next day again one has to stand in a queue.

Now to get my son seen by a Doctor I had to phone in pvt clinic at 6 AM. Then I got the number of 25? When This 25 will come I didn’t know? I went there at 12 in noon but the number was not near. We stood in a queue and waited for our turn that came around 1.30. all these years I had to stand in queue for almost three hours in the GB Pant Hospital. Dr Bharadwaj was the specialist and we wanted to consult him. As he was the only one child specialist in GB Pant Hospital that time in whom we can believe. Wait of 3 or 4 hours standing in queue was nothing for us at that time.

I wanted to consult an ortho surgeon at GB Pant Hospital as my wife is suffering of back pain for many years now. I had to reach at Hospital at 7 AM or earlier. As when I reached at 7 AM I found few persons already occupying some places in a queue. They told they had come at 5.30 AM. I waited there in a queue. At around 8 or 8.15 a person in white uniform came and started writing in a register and giving a token number. Then If I am lucky or I had reached early then I can get token number of starting numbers or one digit. Very often I get 15 or 20 token number. AT 9 AM doctor reached. He had to struggle through the crowd to make way into his room. I reached at hospital at around 10.30 AM considering that token number of 15 or 20 will be now ready in queue to go inside the cabin of doctor. To my surprise huge crowd was still there and I could not enter even if waiting for an hour. I did not try to enter room of doctor by PROCLAIMING that I am a director or having a high post. I thought God will see that I am crossing line and number of these patients. This quality of mine is a huge negative aspect of my personality in eyes of my wife? As I am unable to impress anyone in Hospital so that he can help me in entering doctor’s cabin.

Thus along wait of few hours I am able to enter the room of doctor. If He says go for X-Ray, Ultrasound etc then again I have to face a long queue.

Once doc told to get Ultrasound done. I went to that room there nurse scolded me and later asked me to come after one month as dates are not available. I was taken aback. How come they can ask patient to come after one month, how the patient can survive pain. Next day I talked to someone, he in turn must have told something to that nurse. I was asked to come next morning early. I reached there on third day. Then I got Ultrasound done.

When you enter GB Pant Hospital, you have to stand in a queue to get your registration done. From there you have to go to the opd number there if they have token system then you have to get your name registered and get a token. Or you simply stand in queue in front of that doctor’s cabin. After doctor written prescription of medicine you have to move to the pharmacy area. There you have to stand in a long queue to get your name registered called “Data entry”. After that you have to stand again in a long queue to get those medicines. If the crepe bandage is prescribed you have to go to the room number one. There a nurse on duty will give you the crepe bandage. Ideally we are so accustomed to the queue culture.

If I have to travel by train during the summer vacations, I get a high fever on just imagining of standing a queue. I go to the Railway reservation counter at Charbagh railway station when I am in Lucknow, or to the Rawatpur or central Kanpur station in Kanpur. If you reach early by 7 Am you can get a place in many queues. As there are many counters in that railways station. At Lucknow we have reservation on two sides of the Railway station. I had been to the New Delhi Railway Reservation counter. I also got the chance to stand in a queue at Sarojini Nagar rail reservation counter. Similarly I had to stand at Some place I don’t remember? I think Rithala near Rohini when I went to my relative’s house in Delhi. All these places I have seen large crowds. I had the chance to spend long hours standing in queue to get railway reservation. Now very recently they have opened a Rail Reservation counter at IIT Kanpur Gate, which was not when I was in Kanpur. I get heart attack while thinking about my experience at Railway Reservation counters at Madras Railway Station and Calcutta. Multi-storey building was there but huge crowd was also there.

In college also at Kanpur University lot of students had to stand in a queue either to get admission forms, then to submit filled in forms, or to get Admit cards etc. I stood in queue to submit form for Re-Evaluation at Kanpur University.

Later I went to Employment registration building. It was on the road leading from Gol Chauraha towards gumti number 5 or hospital. On the right side there is a building after crossing the railway track which comes from Rawatpur Railway Station and goes to central railways station? Or Anwargunj? I saw a huge crowd and a queue to get forms or to submit forms. Someone told me that you can register you name in the University employment bureau. I went to Employment Bureau at Kanpur University. There was little less crowd of unemployed. I was surprised that clerk there asked straightforward some tip for registering. He also said that make arrangement for tea snack etc. by signalling with thumb and figure the usual gesture for asking money. I told him some false storey, about one Mr Mishra working in Employment Bureau. I told he is my relative and he had asked me to come so that we can go to attend a marriage in Lucknow. I had read a card on Mr Mishra’s table. Similar card was also in my home. I thought since cards r same then he might have been somehow related to my family. I cooked up a story and told that person same. I don’t remember now what was his name? Mr srivastav or some? It is during 1990s. As soon as he came to know about this he immediately called me and registered my name and specifically told me that we offer this service without any cost or fees? Early some time back he gone out of his room to have tea, and signalled me to go or wait till they had their tea. But I continued to talk with him till he reached the tea stall.  That’s how I got my name registered in the Kanpur University Employment Bureau, Without standing in a queue.

Still very recently I have seen the crowd never reduced in Banks. Either to deposit or to withdrawal or just to print the balance sheet in the pass book Or to get the FD done always I have to stand in a queue. I had account in SBI Port Blair. There was time when we were asked to submit details for KYC. Huge crowd I have seen, but what to do? I had to stand in a queue to submit my papers for KYC.

So the word queue has been ingrained in our psychic space. What’s harm if I stand in queue now? To get money exchanged??