Last Sunday I went to a restaurant for dinner. I ate my meal and paid the bill. And when I was heading for the exit, a waiter, who had served me the food gave me a tight slap. Why? As I didn't tip him!

Al right I'm making up the entire story. People in the West may be tipping the waiters, but it's still not a convention or a norm in India. If you tip the waiter (10-20 percent of the Bill) , Good. If you don't, even then the waiter doesn't harbour any hard feelings for you. Why? As any practice must become a tradition to offend people for its non-compliance. Although, I always make it a point to tip the waiter, even if I don't he will not be angry. Not to the extent to slap me.

The bus driver from Uttarkashi , who is convicted by the Court, for killing 22 people en route to Haridwar from Mussoorie on January 06, 2011, by willingly throwing the bus in a gorge, is found to be guilty of murdering 22 innocent people in the bus. Every newspaper in Uttarakhand reports that the Bus driver was unhappy with the passengers (tourists from Haridwar). The reason for this unhappiness was : The driver demanded one or two pegs (alcohol) from the tourists, and they declined his demand. Acutely disappointed by the snub, he threw the bus in the gorge. All this while, I thought that the driver lost his cool because of some quarrel with the passengers. I didn't know the driver took this drastic step just for a pegs or two. But, since the witnesses in the case, repeated the same reason for disappointment, there's no reason not to believe them.

Never knew, honouring your driver with a couple of pegs, has become a tradition in India! But a small suggestion. Don't tell anyone even if you fill your driver with booze, before handing him the steering (For the fear of his disappointment). As your story will be hard to digest.



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