Sunday, April 11, 2010

Of Mobiles and Automobiles

There are two things that have never fascinated me. One is mobile phones and the other is automobiles. I've never even bothered to find out my own mobile model number and each time I am asked, I take out the back cover of my mobile to read it out. And each time I invariably forget it within the next five minutes of reading it. I have never felt that remembering my mobile model number is mandatory. I've often been ridiculed by shopkeepers, friends and relatives for this. Now days, remembering your mobile model number is as important as remembering your car registration number.

The other day, as I was speaking to someone from the restroom of my office, a friend of mine noticed that the cleaner there had a better and more updated version of Nokia when compared to mine. She found this extremely funny. I still don't understand the joke about the rest room cleaner having a better mobile than mine.
The only feature I need in a mobile phone apart from the basic necessity of making calls is that of sending messages and receiving them. And yes I don’t need a phone that hangs if I pressed the buttons too hard. I find it immaterial to have a phone worth forty thousand rupees, with a 7 pixel camera, hazar other features, and have balance of Rs.0.04. A phone should serve the purpose its meant for. I don’t quite understand the logic behind having a phone worth 40 or 50 grand and not being able to make an emergency call because you have a balance of 0.04 rupees. So technically, during an emergency if I cannot make a call from a phone worth 40 grand it is of zero value.

Another thing that never amuses me is cars. Ever since I was a child, I've never dreamt of owning the best cars. I don’t know the difference between a z-series and x- series Mercedes. My father often told me “It doesn’t matter how you travel from point A to point B, be it by a Porche, a Lamborgini, a Maruthi 800, or the MTC buses. There is no shame in travelling by something that takes you to your destination”. A few days back, when the prime minister visited Chennai for the opening of the secretariat,many roads were blocked and there was terrible traffic jam throughout the city. While numerous 'Honda Cities', quite a few Skoda's were stand still, I walked past them and reached home way ahead of all the cars present there.

As I walked, I wondered of what value was a Rs 25 lakh car, which earned the respect of the onlookers on the road, if it took you to your kid's birthday function four hours late.

4 comments:

Ashish Shah said...

although i wudnt really say that i agree with you on cellphones COMPLETELY per say, but i also believe that phones are for calling/texting. but id like my phone to have some music. thats all. :D nowadays thats not a big deal neway.
cars is a point well made. i've never understood why ppl make a big deal abt one neway.
nice breezy read :) keep em coming :)

Anonymous said...

On the whole I agree with you. But there is something about hitting the sweet spot on your car that cannot be put in words. Owning a bigger, better car does enhance that feeling. But, then again, it almost entirely a guy thing and I don't expect you to understand.

Same thing holds true about being able to have custom ringtones, being able to shoot amateur porn with your phone and such.

Would like to add that, I believe in the end all cars will become super fuel efficient, boring and will drive themselves. Like riding horses was reduced to thing reserved for aficionados so will driving fast expensive cars around racetracks.

ps: I can't comment on emo posts as well as poetry. I understand neither. So, this post came after a long wait. :)

Untitled said...

i feel quite the same about mobile phones. well i would say material things dont fascinate me no more..and yes!! its true that it doesnt matter how you get from point a to b. just shows how petty people are to judge someone on what they have..

Himanshu said...

Mobile phones are more than just phones these days; and smart people know how to substitute many of their other gadgets (read music players, laptops and even the TV) with their mobile phones. Those who view their phones as phones, stick to the basic models.
Cars! Fascinating topic. If one can splurge thousands on shoes and bags and clothes, those who afford splurge lakhs on cars. There is no difference between the two, except bank balance.