When consumer is not the king...

(Few stray thoughts for another lockdown week-end)

It is time that we forgot the   age-old dictum that consumer is the king.

If you the consumer, you will realise that you are at the mercy of your vendor.

Thanks to the distancing rule, you are made to wait in the circles outside the shops – this after you literally went around in circles during the initial days of the lockdown.

Then you are made to wait outside and give your order to the vendor.

You have no choice to pick-and-chose and even touch-and-feel.

You have to take whatever the vendor fills in your shopping bag.

Quality? It goes for a toss that never lands on the ground.

Your pulses and masala items could have pieces of small stones, or the biscuit packets could be soggy.

Your problem at a vegetable ship is even manifold. No questions about quality here.

You may not pay through your nose (of the mask) in these days of corona, but you do shell out a lot of money – Rs 60 for a kg of tomatoes, and Rs 10 for a bundle of Paalak. You are in for shocks when you reach home and open the bag to wash them. You may have to throw away half of the stuff that you buy.

You ask for Alphonso and when you get could be a TOTA-PURI.

As it is you get out for shopping only once a week and you don’t feel like going back to the shop to atrgue about the rotten items.

Home delivery is not available everywhere as you are not sure if your area is contained or not. The municipal list gives names of certain areas and buildings which may not include yours, but when you go out you realise that your street is barricaded.

Transparency?  Did it even exist in our administration?

Patience, thy name is Mumbaikar!

We will all grin and bear the mess. When the politician comes asking for votes tomorrow, we will not question him/her: Where were you during the lockdown!