Make them Robin Hoods

“Are you looking for any gold coins?” I asked my good old friend Sridhar. I meet him quite often these days during our morning walks. Normally a good morning or a nod or a smile - that would be the protocol. He was surprised today with my question. He was more surprised as he did not understand my question. Not his fault, it is mine. Many have told me that. But he was a different Sridhar today. He had his pet dog with him, 4 month old golden retriever, first time I am seeing him taking his dog. Moreover he had a polythene bag with him, may be to clear the dog poop, I appreciate his gesture. As he lived in the US and Japan for many years, I don’t doubt his good intentions. I elaborated my question “Are you taking dog with that bag also in hand to look for those gold coins as happened in California yesterday”. Luckily he had read about that news. He could understand my question better this time. Those who hadn't heard about this, a couple in California found gold coins worth 1 M USD while they were taking their dog out for a walk.

People get money unexpectedly like this. A few of us would have got money like that. Majority of us earn money by our hard work.

From March onward Indian Railways is going to stop providing refund on unused tickets, once the train has already departed. They used to refund 50% of the value 2 hours after the train has departed. This news reminded me of an incident happened many years ago.

I was traveling from Ernakulam to Bangalore by train. I occupied my seat much earlier as the train was starting from Ernakulam itself. As there were 5 minutes to go to start the train the Train Ticket Examiner (TTE) entered our coach and started checking our tickets. Quite unusual, this must be a dedicated TTE. Normally they come once the train reaches Aluva the next major stop or Thrissur which is next to Aluva. He completed the job quickly and vanished. We reached Thrissur. Another TTE appeared. “You have ticket only till Aluva that too a normal unreserved ticket” TTE told the person sitting in the side seat. That passenger kept on telling that he had reserved ticket till Bangalore, did not know how this happened. Rules were rules, those days there was no computerized reservation systems, no use of having photo ids! He had to get down from the reserved coach. We all thought he was just trying to fool the TTE.

A few weeks later I narrated this incident to my father over phone.” No wonder”, he exclaimed. There was a news item in the daily that day that a person was caught who was trying to collect refund for a ticket which he had not bought! This was his modus operandi. He gets in to the train disguised as TTE, just before the train starts. While checking your ticket he cleverly gives you an unreserved ticket for the next stop, which he would have bought for a few rupees. He retains your original ticket to Bangalore, heads towards the reservation counter. Submits that ticket there to collect the refund money which could easily be around 150 rupees !

People have innovative ways to cheat somebody and make quick money. These people are extremely shrewd, they know the vulnerable targets and also know when somebody can be vulnerable.

 Once, my uncle had an experience. While walking from office to bus stop, somebody approached him and had a deep conversation in those ten minutes. He took 10 rupees at the end of it from my uncle with a promise that he would return it next day. Reaching home, my uncle was so upset, annoyed. While he was trying to recollect who this friend was, he just could not. Once he started analyzing what had happened in those 10 minutes, he realized that that person just called my uncle by his name. Then on he was skillfully building up the case and familiarity with whatever information divulged by my uncle. It is not the question of that small amount of money, but the way he was duped that annoyed my uncle.

That night around 10:45, I was waiting in front of Hotel Leela Palace on old airport road. Not to watch the beauty of that palace in late night, not to watch those “interesting” people who would enter or exit ! To pick up my son coming from new airport in the airport Volvo bus, the bus stops in front of Hotel Leela Palace. As I was getting impatient as the bus was not coming, I saw a young gentleman approaching me. “Do you have 50 rupees on you, my wallet is stolen. I need to reach Banasankari, I am working in an IT company in Electronic City”. His executive appearance and command over good English was so convincing. I almost felt paying him 50 rupees, after all he was also a “poor” IT guy!!, but luckily I hadn’t taken any money with me. He just cursed, “I know you would tell that” as he went off, when he heard  my reply “Sorry I don’t have”. Then I started analyzing what had happened. Why should he be on old airport en-route Bhanashakari, which is totally on the opposite direction, he might say he had to meet somebody here – granted. Then why couldn't he call one of his friends and ask him to pick him up, he might have said his mobile was also stolen – granted. Even then he could have just got into an auto and reach his or his friends /relatives house and ask one of them to pay the auto fare , he might say he does not have any friends/relatives – not granted but then he deserves those 50 rupees.

Would I have gone through all these series of thoughts while he had asked the money? The answer is no, he presented himself so nicely that he did not give any time for me even to think!

I watched a talk by Daniel Goleman on  “why aren’t  we more  compassionate” shared by my friend Ganesan yesterday. (http://www.ted.com/talks/daniel_goleman_on_compassion.html).

Similarly I am sure study on brains of fraudsters of the kind I mentioned earlier would have been done. Scientists would have found out that these guys are extremely brilliant, high IQ and there is that 24mg piece of their brain that makes them think innovatively to cheat other people. We need such people. Probably an NGO, you might have heard of NGO boom is happening in India, what else one can expect when the Government does not govern, perpetually ! This NGO should catch these fraudsters young, under all legalities.  Provide them a cozy jail, for life time. Provide them the right environment to stimulate that 24mg part of their brains. And who should be the target of these fraudsters ? Those politicians, those bureaucrats, those industrialists who have stashed crores and crores of rupees of our tax money.  Let them use their brains to extract the money innovatively and let the NGO use it for a good cause.

In short, make them Robin Hoods of this era. Let fraudsters tackle fraudsters. “Mulline mullu kondu thanne edukanam”, there is a saying in Malayalam – Thorn (stuck in your foot) needs to be extracted using another thorn only!