If only you had read the instructions on the backside of the ticket. On Sun, May 31, 2009 at 11:42 PM, <[email protected]> wrote:
> > > Hi all, > > At 3.03 in the morning, I definitely need someone to listen to my story - > at the soonest before it burries me anymore with all the disappointment. > > All through since my teenage when Roja came up – until today when the world > salutes the maestro for his contribution to Indian and world music, my > liking for ARR has only grown out of proportion. Day in and day out, just > like you all, I don’t remember a day when I gave ARR music a skip and now, > it has become a part of life , just like brushing, bathing and breathing. > > Being a die hard fan of ARR since past 15 years or so, I am also a part of > this group for about 9-10 years now (earlier active through email IDs > ashok100020, ashokemail2003). Guess, by now you are convinced of my crave of > ARRs music despite the fact that many people call me crazy for ARR > > > > > > A month ago, when I got to know that ARR is in Pune for a concert, I had no > second thoughts about the concert, even though Mumbai Pune are not really > that close. It takes about 3..5 hours to travel to Pune. I am basically from > Mumbai suburbs and kept waiting for any ARR concert. I managed to spread the > word through every friend I had known so that nobody misses what they > deserve to see – for all of them who have been thriving this liking for his > music all these years.. > > > > Finally, two of my friends and me agreed to attend the ARR Pune concert. > Now, we checked the website, as all passes were available only in outlets in > Pune. We decided at once that we will reach Pune earlier on the day of the > concert and buy the passes from one of the outlets mentioned. > > > > We checked the website again after a few days, still living and counting > down to our day of excitement. The website now said that passes can be > bought online via Credit/Debit card payment and will be home delivered – > again, only within limits of Pune and vicinity. > > > > I requested my friend who in turn requested his friend in Pune to provide > her address to us so that we can book the passes and get it delivered at her > Pune address since the website said they deliver only in Pune. Story goes > fine here – the passes get delivered next day. We receive a call that she > has received the passes. The first things that I would do until 31st was > look at the calendar each morning, and count the number of days to 31st. > > > > Fortunately, the girl who received the passes was also one of big ARR fans, > like all of us in this group. She bought a pass for herself and her brother > too. > > > > I slipped in my Digicam, my friend packed his Binocs and 12 mp cam and the > third friend did not carry anything. Everything is hunky dory and we headed > to Pune. > > > > > > We reached Pune concert venue before time through. Balewadi stadium, for > everybody’s info is not really in proper city limits. It takes quite a bit > of time, and sorry, but good money for the rickshaw to reach the stadium. > But I wouldn’t blame anyone for it – probably that was the best place that > the organizers thought of arranging the concert for our dear ARR, And > frankly, nothing really mattered for us to watch ARR concert at any cost. > > > > Serpentine line and amazing huge crowd already waited there, vouching for > the fact that arr fans are omnipresent.. Initially, there was only one > queue. But as clock started ticking faster to 6 O clock, they opened one > more line on the left side of main entrance. There was a separate entry gate > for VVIPs of course. My friend’s friend met us at planned place to hand over > the passes. Sheer joy and anxiety ran through my nerves – yes! I am here. > > > > Wasting no further time, we went ahead in one of the queues, the shorter > one practically. Our turn came for the first check and yes, WE WERE STOPPED > – no camera’s allowed in there. > > Well, no problems, we will not take the cameras, then where do we keep it? > > “Keep it in our vehicle, we are not allowing anyone to carry cam in there – > no binoculars too..” said the security guy > > “Listen, we have come thru public transport and not in our own vehicle and > have no place to keep our stuff i.e. cam and Binocs. Can you provide us a > locker or something that can we take it back after the concert please?” > > “No, there are no lockers – keep your stuff anywhere, but you cannot go in > with this stuff” > > As we tried to convince the sec staff, he had no answer and took us to his > senior, actually an inspector or so. > > We explained him the case and he had no solution. We even told him we have > come all the way from 3 corners of Mumbai only to attend ARR concert that we > have been waiting for a month now. > > He rudely replied that people come from Mumbai with laptops, cameras etc. > We can’t help. You can’t go in – and pulled us out of the queue. > > > > Now, as a matter of fact, our cams 2 together costed about 40000 bucks – > leave alone the binocs..I had no clue if I could risk it with the cops out > there ; nope. But ARR fever was higher , so we tried to persuade the cops if > they could keep it for the time of the concert and we can collect it later. > NOPES…they cared the least. > > > > We needed someone or someplace to take care of our Binocs and cam for about > the time of the concert. > > > > Now our blood pressure went up – thinking of what to do. We tried calling > the friends’ friend who gave us the ticket – as she had come in her car with > her brother and friends. She said she was too inside to come out – and the > car keys are with her brother. She tried calling her brother who may find a > way out. > > In the next 25 minutes we called her more than times, only to be > dismayed that her brothers’ number is not reachable. > > > > Balewadi was about more than 40 mins away from the hotel where we checked > in – close to Pune station. A journey back to hotel and back to concert > would be impracticable - for it would be too late –and expensive too… > > > > > > We called every Pune number possible – for the limited number of friends we > have in Pune – at least 4 numbers. Nothing seemed to work –either they were > out of city or were located too far to come to the concert gate and collect > our cams and Binocs, so that we could go in. > > > > Now, there was only one solution – practical, but meant a lot to each of > us. That one of us three decides to stay out keeping all the stuff of cam > and Binocs and the other two can walk in. We are good friends of course, so > started offering ourselves to be the one who wou8ld miss the concert, so > nothing really got decided. We agreed that if we go, we all go, or else > nobody > goes in. > > > > > > At the same time, we could see a few people hovering around us to see if we > are not going in , can they get the passes. There were two guys who asked us > if we will be interested in selling out the passes to them. We had 3 passes, > but even after 7 O clock, we had some hopes that we could go in . NOPES. > Nothing really worked. In the end, where the sun set on our left, my heart > sank with a feeling that I could only see the cake, but couldn’t have it. > > Having tried hard enough, we reached the entry, but are denied access, just > bcos we got our personal cam and have no provision to keep it anywhere else? > > > > My heart froze – all my life where I dreamt of attending his concert, if it > happened, it happened this way? > > We sold out the tickets to two guys who were waiting for our decision. One > month’s long journey came to a tragic end. IN about 5 minutes, another guy > who could make out from our faces that something terrible happened to us, > asked if he could get a pass if we are not getting in . Yes, we had one pass > left (out of 3, two were sold to those two guys already). We gave it to him > – he was ecstatic, and took no time to enter the gate. > > Now it’s difficult to leave the place, when u know your dream shattered in > last one hour. You'd at least like to listen all that is possible . We > followed to the main road and on the left turn, got closer to the stadium > boundary where we could very clearly listen all the songs. There must be > odd souls there for 'free' listening. Again, the hawaldars in all their > sheer wisdom shove everyone out. (even hit a man with lathi) Probably, > nobody deserved it. > > > > A few points to ponder upon: > > > > 1. What worse can ever happen to ARR fans to travel all the way from > Mumbai to Pune and be denied entry on ground of cam not allowed – did the > show organizers ever care to think where are those guys going to manage to > keep the stuff which is again expensive? > > 2. Did not the show organizers think for second if putting a note in > the website itself that no cam or Binocs will be allowed during the concert > - I am sure they were aware of this stuff long before and no last minute > announcement is made in such decisions. The shrieking voice of the lady in > her vernacular language is still piercing my ears – she repeatedly kept > announcing that cam and Binocs are not allowed > > 3. Could they not arrange for a few lockers for those unfortunate > souls who came with cams or Binocs? I am sure this was no small concert and > such things are well planned > > > > > > I have no clue whether ARR is aware of how his fans are treated outside the > concert – esp. those who are victims of stupid last minute rules that were > not made visible on website or any other media. All my efforts to reach and > make it to the concert flashed before me many times. We were 3 dejected > souls yesterday evening and I kept blaming the show organizers for their > unprofessionalism. > > > > But, I will still remain a big ARR fan. Will definitely attend the concert > next time without Cam and Binocs, even if the organizers don’t care to be > careful enough on their side. Just hope this tragedy does not happen with > anyone else! > > > > Jai Ho ARR > > > > Ashok > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > Explore and discover exciting holidays and getaways with Yahoo! India > Travel Click > here!<http://in.rd.yahoo.com/tagline_Travel_1/*http://in.travel.yahoo.com/> > > >
