Reporter's Diary: Mismatch between official talk and staff behaviour

Even morning walkers, who are usually so focussed on the calories they burn and the music played in their earphones, now look around with concern. Recently, this reporter noticed a central government employee, who was on a morning walk near Shastri Bhavan at Nungambakkam, go out of the way to strike a conversation with a foreigner sitting on a pile of luggage near an ATM kiosk. 

On being told that he was unable to take cash from any ATM and that he was waiting for a friend to pick him up as he had no money, the official asked the Shashtri Bhavan security guard to give him some tea with snacks. The watchman readily obliged as he had seen the foreigner spend the entire night on the pavement. Sometimes, all the talking might turn out to be a diversionary tactic too. 

At the same ATM, a lady staffer with the City Police Commissioner’s office who was seen complaining to all and sundry around her about how people were jumping the queue and how too many people were getting inside the ATM booth at a time, went inside when her turn came with eight different debit cards, each of which she used to withdraw money, unmindful of the dozens waiting to get their turn.