Loos & shopping
I've been into my usual shopping spree but not yet into my full flow! The reason being, my daughter is not v.co-operative & hence I'm unable to do much. She clings onto me & refuses to go to anyone else. And wants me with her all the time! Whilst I enjoy that I'm also restricted @ the same time. She's not keeping too well (fever, cold cough....) & hence I need to take her along wherever I go! And so shopping is not so pleasureful! :s
Coming to the topic, I noticed something. There r so many good shops & malls all over Chennai. Some even tastefully done...gr8 clothes, superb accessories, smart shoes etc etc but then the loos r still the same....dirty, smelly & messy! In one of the big shops, there were even some 3 lady cleaners in the toilets...but all they were doing was having a good time amidst themselves!
As soon as we landed @ the Chennai airport, my son wanted to use the loo & when I took him, the first thing he said was...yuck, this is so smelly!!!
I wonder y is that we lack the basic cleanliness even in these big places which r frequented by the educated class? Y cant they be kept more clean? Sometimes ppl use the toilet but dont even flush? Isnt it the basic step to do so?!
Wishing there were cleaner & smell free toilets.........!
Coming to the topic, I noticed something. There r so many good shops & malls all over Chennai. Some even tastefully done...gr8 clothes, superb accessories, smart shoes etc etc but then the loos r still the same....dirty, smelly & messy! In one of the big shops, there were even some 3 lady cleaners in the toilets...but all they were doing was having a good time amidst themselves!
As soon as we landed @ the Chennai airport, my son wanted to use the loo & when I took him, the first thing he said was...yuck, this is so smelly!!!
I wonder y is that we lack the basic cleanliness even in these big places which r frequented by the educated class? Y cant they be kept more clean? Sometimes ppl use the toilet but dont even flush? Isnt it the basic step to do so?!
Wishing there were cleaner & smell free toilets.........!
posted by Has to be me @ 12:27 PM
59 Comments:
At 3:02 PM,
Kalpana said…
This is what I too felt many times. No cleanliness at all. Though you question them, they will be no proper response. Might be, for them, money from us is what matters the most, to keep it clean temporarily.
At 3:14 PM,
Anonymous said…
it is correct to complain about the state of affairs in chennai. having said that, have you wondered what kind of people to services ratio exists in india vs. usa (or any other developed country for that matter)?
last saturday, i was walking to the local circuit city, which had been overrun by thanksgiving shoppers the previous day. guess what? the dustbin outside the store was overflowing, there were meat boxes (not empty, mind you) lying around on the floor and on the road. wrappers from wendy's, burger king, etc. on the road too. this just one day of shopping that was, thankfully over. now compare this to india where the stream of shoppers is incessant, and there are probably even less supplies (restrooms, etc. etc.). on a comparative basis, i think that india and indians are still better off though, obviously, there is a large scope for improvement.
- s.b.
At 4:27 PM,
Priya said…
That is why India ranks 140 something in cleanliness. Well when people cannot keep their drainage or outside garbage clean, how cna we expect the airports to be clean. We are not comparing develped/developing. Its all about healtha nd thaz why we see many difficulties and poor conditions. Its not that you cannot educate the ones who do not understnad. People are lazy to keep it clean and they don't care.
First of all, they shud stop using that penoil or what ever which itslef brings a dirty smell all over the place.
At 5:44 PM,
KK said…
Well uhm...uhm...uhm...donno :)
Seri yenakku aishwarya rai alavukku azhaga illatiyum... atleast Asin alavukku paarunga ;)
At 6:12 PM,
Syam said…
this reminds me of an incident, when I was in India my cousin had visited with her family from UK, on the day of landing we were staying in a hotel in Madras, as soon as her kid entered into the bathroom he came out like a bullet and told "Mom, I don't like this place lets go back to our country" :-)
At 6:14 PM,
Syam said…
KK, ennathu ithu dhideernu Aishu la irundhu Asin ku irangiteenga...apdi ellam iruka koodaathu ungaluku kandippa Aishu maathiriye ponnu kidaikum..sulpa wait maadi...
(ipdiye ethi vittu ethi vittu...nu neenga solrathu ketkuthu) :-)
At 7:56 PM,
How do we know said…
well, you are right abt the fact that airport loos are sad...but one can't help agreeing with Anonymous also..
At 8:53 PM,
Mukund said…
went on my first foreign trip recently to singapore & hongkong and was amazed at how clean the loos were in those places! wish our ppl learn to keep them more clean...
btw, mylapore rangachari cloth store pakkam vandeenga'na, adhukku pakkathu building maadila dhaan enga office irukku!! oru hello sollitu ponga madam :)
At 9:12 PM,
KK said…
Syam, Harish blog'la katha paartheengala... Aishu got married to Abhi :( so no vacancy potutanga... yeppadi iruntha naan ippadi aagiten :(
Has to be me than nambi iruken :)
At 11:58 PM,
Harish said…
Ennanga pandrdu. We need to make laws strict and impose strict fines. But in the end that will be more fine collection for Mama only :-)
At 1:28 AM,
Anonymous said…
hmmm...you're a mom!!!! And you have the audacity to be amused by picking fights with the salesmen!!!
watch out ppl!! Woman on the loose! [:D]
At 6:50 AM,
Keshi said…
ewwwwww @smelly n messy!
I hate such places. I think ppl need to get together and work on improving public places. Unity and determination is needed for that.
Keshi.
At 8:03 AM,
Anonymous said…
As long as the Govt. maintains the loos they will never be clean, thats why the whole of India is dirty, if you ever see dirt there is a govt. behind it.
At 8:45 AM,
di.di said…
lst time, i hate to use the public toilets, i rather wait till i reach home.. :D
but now since they have set up a "public toilet cleanliness enforcement unit".. the cleanliness now is far better. Plus, the local authorities have been asked to design more attractive toilets to encourage the public to look after their cleanliness better!
At 12:28 PM,
Artnavy said…
I wish there were enough loos in the first place and then hope they are usable as well
there shld be pay and use -maybe that way people will be more careful?
At 3:34 PM,
Patty said…
I rate public toilets, and then give the manager my opinion on ways they can improve things. The big thing for me is what kind of drying system they use and is the basket within reach of the door. It totally grosses me out to see people turn on the faucet with their dirty hands, wash then, and then reach and turn off the same dirty faucet, and then grab the dirty door handle to leave. How do they not see that they are contaminating their clean hands. The best procedure is to get your toweling ready, wash, dry, and use the toweling to turn off the faucet and open the door. If the trash is not by the door, what to do with it? I usually give it to the manager when I am requesting that they move the trash closer to the door to help reduce the spread of germs.
At 6:44 PM,
Has to be me said…
Kalpana,
Right...they never even respond properly fr doing their own work!
SB,
Agree with u on ur point however y cant ppl adhere 2 these basics? I esp referring 2 the educated class....not even the rural areas.
Priya
Bang on...lazy & dont care attitude. Wonder what will awaken them?
At 6:47 PM,
Has to be me said…
KK,
yennaku asin pidikavay pidikathu! I think u will surely deserve someone better! ;)
Syam,
Yes kids brought up abraod always face this hassle! WAit fr mughil 2 say that in his next visit 2 india!
HDVK,
But where is the start? Also not necessarily that if ppl in developed countries do things like that v shd follow suit! Cleanliness, health & hygine r interrelated.
At 6:49 PM,
Has to be me said…
Mukund,
Done. Office paeru enna?
KK,
nambinoru kai vida matanga! ;)
Harish,
Romba correct!
At 6:51 PM,
Has to be me said…
Venom,
Guess since Im a mom, thats y I picked up the tiff! U c being too patient with kids & putting up with them...I need 2 take out my frustration somehow!!! ;)))
Keshi,
Yup the initiative has 2 come frm within.
Anon,
Even the pvt commom loos r no better.
At 6:54 PM,
Has to be me said…
DD,
Thats a nice idea of having a PECUnit! Guess its time fr ppl in India also to start smething similar.
Art,
True there needs to b enuff loos too. Pay use is a good idea but not sure if it will work always. But maybe better than the present.
Patty,
U r always so amazing with ur ideas! Cool eh?!
At 9:45 PM,
Something to Say said…
hey welcome back!
In India the last thing i did- before leaving the house - was use the loo - coz outside - they are just terrible! And airports are no exception. While coming to the US - I happened to use the loo in the int'nal airport at Mumbai - and guess what - there was a cleaning lady - dispensing 2 pieces of toilet paper to whoever wanted to use the loo. Just 2 squares!! Can you beat that???
At 11:41 PM,
KK said…
Asin pudikatha??? Why is that many gals dont like Asin?? :) Serious question :)
At 9:22 AM,
Anonymous said…
most of us all grew up in india not usa. you can be the change in the system and not complain. few people do things like the IOC officer who was killed by thugs trying to pervent corruption.
At 1:48 PM,
Mukund said…
next to rangachari, u can find a beauty parlour named Green trends. my office is on the first floor. u will see a sign board "P H Arvindh Pandian & Harishankar Mani, Advocates"!
At 10:38 AM,
Ponnarasi Kothandaraman said…
Hm..Thts a ncie post :) Informative! :)
How r u>?
Long time no c??
At 2:25 PM,
Ganesh Ranganathan said…
Welcome to India....Where people's homes are spotlessly clean and the roads are damn dirty...
At 2:48 AM,
Jinguchakka said…
Got yourself a culture shock?
:-)
At 7:26 AM,
Anonymous said…
Things never change, huh? Many have advised me (knowing me) that I won't like India b'coz of the cleanliness, especially the toilets! How pathetic? Why do they have to have such impressions?
At 12:05 PM,
Has to be me said…
s2s,
Gosh! how terrible! Ya i also have the habit of going 2 the loo b4 leaving home!! :)
kk,
nothing seems nice abt asin....v.ordinary looks & no gr8 shakes. Nothing impressive at all....not even her acting!
Anon,
whilst I appreciate what u say, how do u think it is feasible for one person to bring abt such a change? Infact Im doing my bit of writing abt this & creating an awareness of the same. And ofcourse keep the loo clean after I use!
At 12:07 PM,
Has to be me said…
Mukund,
when I pass that side, shall drop by.
SB,
Truth is bitter.
And welcome 2 my space!
PK,
Shall c ya soon.
At 12:08 PM,
Has to be me said…
Ganesh,
LOL
JC,
Not really cos Im quite used to that!
Geetha,
What 2 do?
At 12:08 PM,
Has to be me said…
Ganesh,
LOL
JC,
Not really cos Im quite used to that!
Geetha,
What 2 do?
At 1:56 PM,
Artnavy said…
mail me at artnavy@rediffmail.com- we will fix a time and place to meet up
At 3:36 PM,
Mukund said…
great!! will look forward to it :) u can also mail me at mukund.sk@gmail.com
At 11:23 PM,
Anonymous said…
Urrrgh ! I make my kids go to toilet at home before leaving for the airport and same before landing - make them use the aircraft's loo. Learnt my lesson a few years back when my little one had to use the toilet at the Hyd airport - it was DISGUSTING.
If they can't maintain the loos of an airport clean....no wonder my son doesn't like even visiting India.
Had the same experience in Hyderabad's malls too.
BTW, nice blog.
At 11:04 AM,
Ekta said…
i so agree with u...in fact thats the case everywhere in India...and realised this only when i moved outta India...the public sanitation is really well taken care of outside India...but guess a lot of it also depends on the users..wish Indians would learn to use and not abuse these public utilities!
At 12:22 PM,
Kalpana said…
Having good time??? Have fun. Enjoy ur trip.
At 1:20 PM,
Sat said…
finally someone has noticed this!!!
I was almost starting to think that it's just my illusion or something!...It's too bad...a visit to these loos is almost fatal...they're smelly...not one of them have toilet rolls...worse it always looks like someone's just had a bath in those cubicles. very poor!
At 3:32 PM,
Shanthi said…
hey good that u went to few places i said : ))
aanaa naan pora andha places ellaam okdhaan !
neenga soldra maadhiri mattamaa irukkaadhey ?
sathyam theater kooda will be really good-dhaan !
i do admit that there are lot of places which are not maintained well... aanaa huge shopping malls ellaam okvaadhaan irukkula ?
i don't go to spencers however... Ispahani will be Ok. Citi center will be fine...
Citi center should visit with my second b and his family soon :D
paapom paapom meet pandromaanu :D
At 4:01 AM,
Anonymous said…
OMG I can't stand that feeling at all! BlAh! :oP
At 11:28 AM,
Has to be me said…
Art,
yup shall do.
Mukund,
okie!
nz,
welcome 2 my space & glad u liked my blog.
At 11:30 AM,
Has to be me said…
Ekta,
betcha! :)
Kalpana,
so far so good.
Sat,
Im glad v share similar thots!
At 11:33 PM,
mommyof2 said…
I hate public toilets.. yuck..
At 6:24 AM,
Pavithra said…
True !! The airport authorities must take steps to keep atleast those loos clean becoz these reflect Indian standards internationally !! Again, its the responsibility of every Indian citizen to keep the country clean. This change can happen only when every individual becomes responsible. ;-)
At 11:04 AM,
Itchingtowrite said…
hey some recommended loos- relatively clean ones-
satyam cinema
mumbai airport (i went to the jet terminal)
specer- westside- cleaner than the common one
ispahani centre loo- ok ok - doesnt hav liquid soap
At 5:45 AM,
Rebelzz said…
hey i understand.. Whevever am outside in Chennai, I dont use the loos. They r really bad.. I just find it nauseating even to touch the doors!
At 6:34 AM,
Anonymous said…
Dats damn true! I hardly use public toilets in india.. i'd rather wait and get bk home rather than use those toilets! Seriously, i dunt understand y they cant be kept clean...
btw, me comin to chennai tonite :) Jollyy!!!! :D
At 7:50 AM,
smiley said…
spiderman dress available in 3rd floor saravana stores, ur kid will luv it :)
At 6:20 AM,
Anonymous said…
Was it me who left an opinino on ur AOL Comment! I really dont know!
Rhetoric quesiton?
At 7:06 AM,
Krithika said…
yes,tats quite true
At 10:19 AM,
Has to be me said…
Shanthi,
Sorry was out of blog action 4 sometime & hence no reply 2 u! Been busy thats y not much time 2 blog! :)
Ya hope v meet somewhere. :))
Jon,
Neither can i!
At 10:22 AM,
Has to be me said…
M2,
Ya yuck indeed! But dont u frequent there esp with kids?!
Pavi,
Ya wish can invoke the responsibility in each individual!
I2W,
Ya i checked the sathyam one...quite ok.
At 10:23 AM,
Has to be me said…
Rebel,
They r just so miserable!
Prithz
Welcome 2 chennai! where u?
Smiley,
Thanks - my parents got one fr him already!!
At 10:24 AM,
Has to be me said…
anjaan
u sound as mysterious like ur name!
Krithi,
:)
At 7:01 PM,
gils said…
me d back after long time... :) unga triplaam sugama..kuttis epdi iruku...unga nalla neram..chn blore rangeku kuliredukuthu..still nothing to beat the hot n humid sunny may-june climate(intha desc padichitu romba veyila ninayonulam kekapdaathu....me sunny boy...many times i miss the sunny weather here...inga mandhamaakara climate...u become lazy)
At 6:43 PM,
mommyof2 said…
"Ya yuck indeed! But dont u frequent there esp with kids?!"
Nope, We usually go out on saturday for almost whole day & I put his training pants;-) If any other day we go out in the evening for 2-3 hr. he is good in his underpants. He has learn to wait for sometime if needed:-)
Gudiya is still in diapers & I can wait for 12hrs;-P(Even when I was pregnant) If its really emergency I only go to Taco Bell's restroomd as I find them almost always clean(way better than others).
At 8:51 AM,
Priyankari said…
Agreed with you absolutely! I have often wondered the same way! Really wonder how even educated people lack so much civic sense!!
At 9:31 PM,
Anonymous said…
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