Tourists taken for a ride
A tourist after getting down at the Civil hospital Junction wanted to go to the Income Tax quarters at Keating Road. He asked a taxi driver where Keating Road is and was told that he would take him there for Rs 50.
The tourist asked him if it was far and the drivers said, “yes.” The driver took the tourist to the IT quarters where he wanted to go. He realized that he could have walked the distance had he known it was within a stone’s throw away.
A nearby shopkeeper said this is the trend. Predator cabs wait like cats with their claws open to jump on someone the moment a sumo maxi cab or a MTC bus arrives from Guwahati. The taxi drivers are good readers of human faces as they can make out from a single glance who they can take for a ride.
The shopkeeper, who was approached by many tourists enquiring about places, said that he his advice to them is to avoid taxis and instead ask pedestrians or the traffic police where to locate a certain place.
Trucks, trucks and more trucks
Shillong should be redefined as they city of trucks. There is not a moment when you do not hear the grunt of a truck as it speeds up the Nongthymmai slope or the creaking of brakes as the badly maintained trucks come down the same slope.
For most people Saturday is the only free day to visit relatives and friends, go shopping or take the kids out.
But the District Administration makes a peculiar rule where trucks are allowed to ply throughout the day on Saturdays and create maximum traffic jams.
On Saturday last (Oct 29) Jaiaw legislator Paul Lyngdoh took over one hour to reach a certain place in Nongthymmai from his home in Mawprem. Lyngdoh was appalled and said this is just not acceptable.
Some people had proposed a citizen’s action forum against reckless plying of trucks throughout the day and night.
They feel that Shillong roads have reached saturation point and that the number of trucks that ply on a daily basis have to be curtailed.
Training and mentoring
A training programme by two senior journalists, Shishir Joshi and Aloke Thakore, founders of Mumbai based JM Foundation for Excellence in Journalism was recently organized by this daily for its working journalists.
Many important sessions about how scribes should go about their duties, follow up their stories, build sources and most importantly cross checking facts and figures were communicated to the keenly participating journalists in the weeklong training.
A session of the 10 commandments for journalists which spoke about plagiarizing stories and not attributing stories to sources besides other rules were an eye-opener. It is said that a good teacher is one who communicates effectively without making it monotonous and academic.
This was the overall excellence of this training where everyone learnt the tricks of the trade amidst fun and bonhomie.
Training is important at every stage in a person’s life, more so if he/she wishes to become a total professional.
The week-long training and mentoring was designed to simplify and systematize the working environment and also to bring in a better and more equitable work culture.
The participating journalists benefited immensely from the wisdom and techniques gained from the two hugely experienced senior journalists.