One of them would certainly have been effective... I hope. :)
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Just another crowded street in Parry's, the Central Business District, in Chennai. But what caught my attention were the boards on the fuse box -- a casualty of the City's two major curses, people spitting and urinating anywhere and everywhere. The board on the right threatens that anyone caught pissing there will be beaten with a slipper. The other warns of a risk of being electrocuted and `don't hold us responsible,' it says.
One of them would certainly have been effective... I hope. :)
One of them would certainly have been effective... I hope. :)
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11 comments:
The threat of electrocution ought to work though the other one sadly won't...
Thanks for not presenting only the pretty things.
Going by the looks of it, neither seems to have been effective.
Have you noticed something? Transformers seem to be favourite spots for this activity. Wonder why?
***
Perhaps the best deterrent is paintings of gods. A stretch by Nungambakkam subway got transformed because of these paintings. And the painters also made sure there were godly representations from all religions. A lesson in derisking through diverse portfolio!
Tilotamma: yes, I did think a bit about posting this topic but, sadly, this kind of rot is also a part of Chennai.
Ramnath: I think they had some effect. The boards are fresh ones and the damage predates the boards, I guess.
a similar ploy was used in a Rohinton Mistry novel, which was also made into a move. A Fine Balance, maybe?
Ramnath,
If the painting of gods was really a deterrent, then all the walls, transformer boxes and every nook and cranny in the city would have to be painted so. A suggestion worth considering.
I wonder why none of the Madras based companies have ever tried doing anything for the city -- apart from sponsoring Madras Musings. Wouldn't it be great if each one of them said they would take up maintenance of 1 km of the Cooum or something like that. Perhaps then public opinion will also build up. May we could do something about, Balaji?
Ah Ramki, that reminds me of Cho's book - Cooum Nadhi Karuyil. Isn't is supposed to be uncleanable - like the Augean Stables and I am not referring to Nilu's three scientific studies :-).
Ramki: Yes. Companies can bear the expense of maintaining a stretch of the Cooum. But it is only the authorities/politicians who can start the process by pushing through the systems that would make cleaning Cooum possible.
Tilotamma: sure due to various natural factors Cooum is not a river that is going to have fresh, clean water. But we can stop aggravating the situation and that means the authorities/politicians need to put in place the systems. Then volunteers / charity can take over.
Hercules did do the task - and i just remembered the name of Mistry's book -
Such a Long Journey
Tilotamma: I am not saying it cannot be done. But Hercules had a clean river to clean the stables. Here the stable and the river are dirty. Tougher job. :)
good point balaji:-))
Cambridge creates art over
such things . Posted this pic only for you ...
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