The THING lurking upstairs...

I had the utter joy (read sarcasm) of writing the cover this time (May 31st issue). And after a week of chatting up total strangers in the hot sun, the story was written and turned over to the copy desk who love to kill us because we write such bad copy. Anyhow, I was sitting with one of the desk folks going through the story and plugging the holes in it when this person - no that would be insulting humanity - this THING popped up and asked me if I was SS who was writing the cover. I said yes I was writing the cover and IT started berating me for turning in the story after the issue closed. This was a load of hogwash because I'd turned it in before and anyhow it must have been the quickest first cover ever, having been finished in a week. According to IT, I was in distinguished company in turning in the cover late, along with the famous N.S who is now with the TOI. What was the THING'S problem? I have 3 bosses and a half (the half is in the Wash Post) who didn't demur a bit about my deadline.

And then after a while the THING reappeared and started ranting about b*chod reporters who couldn't write and generally casting aspersions on our education level, reading skills, English knowledge and so on (I will spare you the graphic terminology). And IT kept directing this at me though IT has never edited anything I've written. So finally IT came to me again and said, " so S.S....rant...rant". I replied that wasn't my name and IT started yelling about giving IT attitude. IT then wandered away since I wasn't giving IT any fuel.

The worst part is that it is apparently acceptable for a THING to chew out people in front of colleagues when it was most unwarranted. All I got later was sympathy from everyone. Big help. No one had the balls to tell the scumbag to F* off. There should be rules on behaviour in public spaces. One cannot use words like b*chod at a colleague (or anyone else for that matter). It is so easy to yell at people junior to you, after all they can hardly swear at you. It is beyond the pale to chew people out in public even if they deserve to be chewed out(and in this case I didn't). And the THING comes after an hour and says it wasn't personal. This was said in private when I left the room on some work. If you can abuse in public then have the guts to apologise equally loudly in front of everyone. And anyway just saying it is not personal doesn't make it okay.

Can I scream and hurl the choicest of abuses and then after ten minutes say it wasn't personal? Why don't we all do that then. The THING is now beyond even acknowledgment. I sail past IT as if IT does not pollute my office space. Unfortunately that is all I can afford to do.

And we pride ourselves on our ancient society and culture?