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Renew your wedding vows in Goa, or gift a Ceremony Package to a close couple Multiple options to make your day extra special! http://www.renewalsetc.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: kishore jothady <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Is Goa changing? Date: Wednesday, 5 November, 2008, 10:50 PM Being born in Madgaon (more than 66 years ago), I have strong sentimental ties with all that is Goan. I make it a point to visit Goa even for a short visit whenever I find time. I never tire of praising Goan culture as well as loving and friendly nature of Goans. However, an incident I faced at Kadamba main bus stand in Panjim on 26th of October, sadly,left me a bit shaken to say the least. Around 2.30 p.m. my wife and I were waiting in the queue to purchase tickets for a direct Panaji-Madgaon bus when my wife notice a sign board next to the window advising senior citizens and passholders to form a separate queue. As there was no passenger in that queue, my wife approached the window and I came out of the queue. However, the booking clerk flatly refused to issue tickets to her and asked her to come in the queue. As we were too tired to enter into any argument, we rejoined the queue at the end (by this time 5-6 more passengers had joined the queue and we had lost our original place). When I purchased two tickets (No:AE 0389526 & 0389527) I asked the same booking clerk if there was a separate queue for senior citizens to which he replied in the negative. When I pointed out the notice board next to the window, he pretended to be busy issuing tickets and refused to answer. Suddenly, a gray haired person who was sitting inside near a table sprang up to his feet and came shouting questioning why we were insisting on getting priority as senior citizens when we were not. I pointed out that both my wife and I not only clearly look like senior citizens but even had our election cards proving our age. Sensing that he was losing the argument, he asked why my wife had not approached the window with the age proof in her hands. By now I had sensed that he just wanted to lengthen the dispute and pointed out that if that was the rule then it should have been mentioned on the signboard. All over the world, senior citizens are treated with utmost respect and no body asks them to produce the age proof unless there is some doubt. This is our experience at post offices, in trains or even during air travel. By this time the gray haired person had become frustrated as all his arguments were countered and was losing face in front of his colleagues. Immediately, he was joined by a few other persons who looked like cleaners and drivers and all of them started screaming and hurling abuses at us. The gray haired person even claimed that he, being a senior official of Kadamba, could make his own rules and nobody can challenge his authority. The group screaming and jeering at us from behind the window bars reminded me of a pack of wild stray dogs baring their fangs and barking from within a dog catching vehicle. As we had already got our tickets and were not interested in entering into fights with these uncultured Kadamba chaps, we just left the place. This incident definitely dented my confidence about friendly Goans but I am sure Goans in general are still friendly and hospitable and such type of rowdy behaviour is restricted only to Kadamba staff. Add more friends to your messenger and enjoy! Go to http://messenger.yahoo.com/invite/