………Autobiography of Engineer’s Rest Room
Commonly called as AME Rest Room
Gender-Female
Age-Visual-as young as any Bollywood diva Actual- 58 Years (01/08/1953)
Over the period of last six decades I have seen Engineers who maintained DC-3 to Avro HS-748 and then starting of jet age in 1970 with B737-200 and finally a new breed of fly by wire aircrafts in 1990 (Airbus). Three different generations of aircrafts were inducted over these years. I have seen three generation of engineers during all these years.
The old saying of “Diversity is the spice of life” was true to me. I was lucky and dated many engineers all these years. I had been into the relationship with few of them but they were energetic, talented and more caring. It is better not to name them as the young one feel it bad. I dislike those engineers who coming into my lap keep clasping and squeezing me for hours and hours unlike engineers of other trade.
I witnessed many AME trainees elevated to a level of executive who at times had taken rest in my lap, slept after doing maintenance work and then attending departures early in the morning.
I also witnessed hardworking helper to be uplifted as engineer & few of them becoming top bosses of this cadre. In spite of long span of mine in existent, never seen any change in working of Engineering. Sincerity level of Engineers was more those days than present generation Engineers; is the fact to be confessed at this juncture.
Unlike today (They are of –ve mindset) I have seen Engineers busy discussing the problems pertaining to their aircrafts undergoing maintenance work in past. I also grew up during this period as their technical PA. And why should I not? After all my boyfriends are engineers.
I was less equipped with the electronic gadgets then, not like today’s Air conditioners, but had only electric fan & Cooler. I was content and happy.
I always welcome those engineers who came tired after departure in sun, rain and cold; I spread my arms in love and lust. I never differentiated them as long as they did there job and came to me. I offered them all sorts of comfort. I am happy having a living relationship with them as they spent at least for 8hrs everyday with me. Their wives may be envy of me but I enjoy their proximity.
During this period, I had to leave my abode thrice from Ch-4 to Ch-3(Behind SI office at Palam)) and now T-3 world's one of largest airport.
When I was brought to T-3, I applied lot of anti-aging cream, facelifting, manicure & pedicure to present myself looking further young but of no use. Young looking engineers look tired. They just come to me, letdown and fall asleep. I hate such attitudes. I am worried about there future. Their energy levels are very low. I am not satisfied by there act. This attitude shows something gone wrong somewhere. This is a matter of concern. They never care for my upkeep & cleanliness. After all I also need some space.
I was happy to know that my boyfriends are being handed over SUDEXO coupons at T-3.I started day dreaming of going into Barista, Mcdonalds etc for snacks and outings to upstairs café into world class terminal building. These guys(Engineers) will never change, coupons are being used and exchanged for purchasing their households and I was not relieved of serving tea and snacks. On the contrary, they brought all my old belongings and forcefully making tea & coffee. Though there is no provision for kitchen, Tea & snacks are still being prepared & served. I am sick of being treated as housewife.
I wanted to look like modern days companion of an executive; like a tomboy but my BFs(Engineers) are still happy being treated as workers. In the last six decades they fail to elevate their career from worker to a level of executive. I am really tired of taking care of these old fashioned friends. At times I feel they don’t deserve to be smart and modern (given all these modern facilities) PA as they still live and happy in dirt and dust. They enjoy staying amid garbage. I was thinking of my modern look but they made me (rest room) even worse than what I used to be at Palam.
I am sorry ,BF is to be read as Boy friend. Please do care me. I also deserve to be clean and modern as my relatives (Rest rooms of other airlines) who have their boyfriends of Jet Airways, Kingfisher, Indigo and Spice. I feel ashamed when they (Engineers from other airlines) visit me. They curse you for not taking a good care of me. I feel hurt.
I do argue with them for your talent, wisdom, honesty and so on but fail to answer when they say I agree but your boy friends (BF) are conservative, they resist change ,a diversity which is the spice of life, A basic mantra for the universe.
I request my friends please change your attitude, do not wait for others to do it. Do what you say. That is what needed to capture a big Pie. Attaining number 1 position is not a big deal then.
Forever yours.
FLIGHT DUTY
..........After my Exile
After a considerable gap of 18months and on my arrival after exile, I was asked to do a flight duty to Muscut(Ironically MCT became my pre and post exile flight duty).
This was a surprise to me that still we have few sectors where we fly out of Delhi.
This reminded me of our olden days of IA where everyday many of us either fly to Singapore, Bangkok, Kualalumpur, Dubai Doha, Behrain and Sarjah or doing 15 days postings.
Lot of activities were there at the backdrop of this, Many man hours were wasted for maintaining the records of engineers who and when one has done flights and postings, heated arguments were seen in our rest room. The first thing everyone love to do is that one used to give a glance on the board in front of our SI where name of AMEs on flights were listed. It used to be the 1st topics of discussion of the day. Those who were not on flight keep criticising others whose name appeared on the white board. Next day the same person was seen going on international postings. Ames on flight when joined other day for his usual shift kept avoiding his colleagues as he was guilty of doing flight duty. All such activities come to stand still.
Earlier we were busy talking about carrefour of Dubai, nightlife of Bangkok ,its famous PATAYA beaches and various types of massages offered there at cheaper price and so on. No more marketing in these Malls, no Rambutan or guava (fruits of Bangkok), no hot spices, dry fruits, & 24 carat gold from Dubai and Sarjah famous souk etc.
Life has changed a lot since then, this reminds of olden days when we purchase chocolates from our local shops. There was a time when our kitchen shelves were full of foreign made chocolates. Now forced to buy Munch, Amul and other Indian made cadbury chocolates from our local market equating its taste to of those once purchased in foreign Malls.
Everything has changed since last 365 days. Ergonomics of today’s work place are of international standard compare to those where we struggled for years to rectify the leakage of toilet water adjacent to our SI room which keep on spilling to AME rest room giving a stinking smell. Later on we became used to of this smell which is missing at T-3 though we are trying to leave no stones unturned to make T-3 like our Palam hangar. No potable water nearby, waiting in sun to be dropped at distant bay which often causes delay of our flights due our late arrival to the remote bays in the absences of conveyance.
Our rest room to central theme of our discussion’s topics too changed. Topics of share market's loose and gains, registration of new plots, flats etc has taken a back seat where we just keeping nerves on changing dates of payments of our salaries. People silently being seen logged in theirs mailings site for any news, no more discussions, and no heated arguments were seen at rest room but we still need to be changed.
Flight duties were real threat of our integrity. We never think beyond this in past. This is the time to or introspection. Better concentrate and focus on faults what we did in past. This is the time to reset & re rack our computers to clear all the warnings if it has stick to MCDU, Scan all our system pages, review PFR for our failure messages, discuss,& refer our TSM transparently .In the process of rectification if it require to replace Master computer, replace it until the system test is satisfactory.Own some extra responsibility and do something expeditiously to regain our lost glory before it is too late.
Let us start afresh with zero-zero hours to bounce back for sure.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Salary Eclipse
40% of us have stoped logging on mailing site every few minutes to check for a new mail in their mailing box for SHU(Sumit Halder updates).Thanks to our present top authority decision for not disbursing even this month salary. This helped us getting rid of Page 2 syndrome.
We now prefer making calls to our friends for Any News? This is a magic word. Today one does not need to explain it further. Every one of us now knew what really he wants to know.
To every one surprise, colleagues at Metropolis depend on those who are on transit for any news. It is not that they do not have any news. Either they are afraid of venting any news out or they are in habit of getting it ratify their own source of news.
The saying of No news are good news seem to be wrong as a common answer of a common question(Any news) is not a good news for sure.
Salary day was earlier equated as a full moon day. This was decreasing each passing day for rest of 15 days and then a dark nights but still few penny left as moon too is visible for few hours in night until it disappears on 30th day to surface it on the eastern sky on moon day like our page1 and 2 on 30th or before. This time it has disappeared for last 50 days as a full lunar eclipse.
This lunar eclipse was century’s longest and darkest eclipse lasted for 100minutes, Air india’s salary eclipse is also 1st ever in last 60 years, our salary eclipse still in continuation (For last 46 days), The earth came in between sun and moon but moves away after 100 minutes but Air Indian still figuring it out who came in between and why not moving out to end our Salary eclipse.
Monday, June 13, 2011
IN EXILE
It was my 1st off after 2nd night when mobile rang up while I was driving away to a local market in Sector-6 of Dwarka, Delhi.
This was the time when our heart was pumping at faster speed and afraid of receiving a call from office. In a very next moment, xxxxx075 no was flashing on my mobile set and I was sure enough that this is me going to be suspended now.
At the other end the person was asking me to proceed to xxxxnow by morning flight, for me, it was; as if I got my 2nd life. The very 1st reaction was that I have been spared and happily thanks to all my deities.
Though happy but still afraid, relieved one of my colleague who was later on suspended for no fault of his and thereafter I went on exile until discovered on AME times with a new identity of pramodara.
I was consoled by few of my colleague/seniors that do not worry take it as a three postings of 3 month each. As it is we were supposed to do 3 month posting.
We were the one who were disowned by our own colleague. No one remembered us for months. Those who were coming to flight duty somehow trying to avoid us, may be they were thinking as he too will be transferred if someone pass this message to their bosses that he was indulge in conversation with the outstation engineer.
Phase 1
Each day was passing like years, tired coming daily to airport without any leave, people making joke of our status. At the other end back home in Delhi, our family also was in trauma and could not understand what has happened. It was unbelievable. We were getting weaker day by day both physically and mentally. Low morale, no motivation we had only one intention to save the job, better do the job.
Everyone ignored and disowned us.
Phase 2
On arrival after a holidays of 15 days, a bit settled by now, cool and calm, habitual of my lonely life back in AME house, started thinking about ways to pass time. Enjoyed my companion here with a pair of pigeon (already discussed on this board) and spent lot of time at office to set the things right which were not taken care of for years during our 15 days posting. Many things were achieved during this period. Degree of humiliation got reduced slowly and slowly. Staffs too become accustomed of our presence over here for another few months. I was now not the matter of their discussion. Days were passing much faster than the phase 1.
We were accepted and mingled with local staff .Lot of jobs were performed and followed up for engineering.
Phase 3
By now 7 months have passed. The only hope of going back home after 3 months posting, as per the High court order, was lost as we withdrew the winning case. There was no other way than to pass the time doing some constructive work at our work station. I utilised my energy accordingly and tried to do all the jobs done here what we can not perform at Delhi like cleaning of Air Intake, radome & Oleo etc.
I started enjoying a freedom of becoming my own boss, maintaining my own time with no tension of working on 2/2/2 pattern.
Phase 4
This phase started with lot of zeal as only 45 days were left to be in exile. Days were passing like minutes and here was the last weekend away from my forced removal.
Few desperate days were there when I was eager to know the list of my colleague who were about to relieve us. I kept on enquiring for those who are supposed to be posted at Varanasi and rest other stations of Northern region. At last, much awaited list also came out in public and I am relieved and proceeding back home.
During my exile, I learn to live alone,
Knew who all in my life remember most and who are important to me,
In loneliness I was truer to myself, speak less lie in life and it is time to purify my soul.
I come across the fact of life, this make me bold enough to not to be dishearten due any incidents further in life.
Sharpen skill other than my professional.
Offcourse, during all this period I was not amongst my near and dear and missed them for sure.
“I wish all the best to my friend Sh Raghvendra Mishra ji who relieved me at Varanasi”
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Advantages of Outstation Posting
It was not that we did not enjoy doing outstation posting instead it has many advantages & disadvantages too. Engineers in line who are fading up working on 2/2/2 patterns must at least do one posting to have a feel of it.
One year posting is most suited for the juniors whom kids are yet to join school and to seniors whose son/daughters schooling are over.
This also gives an ample opportunity to one who really wants to perform and did not get opportunity while working at base.
We operate/connect as many as 63 stations. 90% of the stations have maximum of three flights and that too during day time. Therefore, the advantages of doing posting are as under:-
We do either general or afternoon duty instead as stated above 222 patterns at base,
Fixed duty timing results in setting our body clock to normal so fitness level is higher,
Being an in-charge, he himself is engineering boss of the base; he is free to report for duty as per the arrival of the aircraft,
Work is maximum limited to Nil Noted job and Use of MEL unless some incidents, once in blue moon, occur at your station.
One can fulfil ones hobby to desired level which was otherwise not possible at base,
Apart from engineering, one has opportunity to interact with various other government departments.
One can understand of our inter-departmental functioning very closely such as commercial, ticketing, finance, security and operation and more importantly aviation marketing.
One has opportunity to know about big holes from where our money is drained out.
And many more…..
Disadvantages:-
You will miss your family members as they can not and would not like to stay there,
You draw less salary in terms of HRA,
Expenditure increases by Rs.10,000/=pm in terms of your stay at outstation(House rent, Maid, cable, gas cylinder, grocery etc),
Note: Each one of us loose more than Rs.15000/=pm compared to our friends working at base.
Being alone you may come in trap of depression.
Outstation job may be lucrative by
(1)Providing fully furnished leased accommodation by Air India as it is there for Air India engineers,
(2)Lunch coupon to be provided as it is done at Base or we may be given lunch and snacks allowances, There is no facility of any canteen or restaurant at small station if it is there charges are exorbitant.
(3)Outstation posting allowance to be paid as it is there in Jet Airways, kingfisher and Spice jet (They are paid Rs.25000/= to Rs.35000/=pm as outstation posting allowance).
Point two may not be considered if we met point 1 and point 3.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
AEROBRIDGE at Varanasi LBS Airport
New airport at Varanasi was inaugarated on November 14,2010.This airort was build up with two aerbridge facility.Inspite of many sincere effort this was still lying idle uptill June 7,2011.
Recently a contract was signed between Jet Airways and ground handling agency INDO THAI to use the Aerobridge and pushback of Jet airways aircraft.
On 7 th of June,Jet Airways Delhi bound flight was parked at the Aerobridge.With the opening of this facility,Varanasi LBS Airport became the 1st one in UP,India to boast to have such facility.
Ironically,The contract between Jet airways and Indo thai just lasted for One day and today Aerobridge was not used.
No other operator has opted this facility so far for their own reason.
Recently a contract was signed between Jet Airways and ground handling agency INDO THAI to use the Aerobridge and pushback of Jet airways aircraft.
On 7 th of June,Jet Airways Delhi bound flight was parked at the Aerobridge.With the opening of this facility,Varanasi LBS Airport became the 1st one in UP,India to boast to have such facility.
Ironically,The contract between Jet airways and Indo thai just lasted for One day and today Aerobridge was not used.
No other operator has opted this facility so far for their own reason.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Tips for staying alone on Postings
This all happened in hurry and we had to report immediately. There was no negative answer type theory was persisting at that moment. May be the theory persists even today. I being not thought of future like this had initially faced lot of problem. My family too suffered a lot in the beginning as they were not exposed to such situation in past.
One who wears a shoe knows where it pinches. Base upon my own personal experiences, I jotted down few tips to take care by all of us who is proceeding for one year posting if no one is there to take care back home:-
You must carry your Laptop on posting along with a data card for internet connectivity,
Load Skype or Google talk software so that you can talk to your family using this software which will give you a feel at home,
Get all Bills like Elec., Telephone, Property tax, IGL Gas, Credit card bill, Car insurance, Insurance and school fee on line so that payment can be made by you at ease.
Do not forget to handover few signed cheque to your spouse as some time one is in trouble when nothing work out (Most of the school fees are not on line)
Must try to get a local SIM to avoid paying roaming charges or inflated telephone bill as one does more call during your 1st phase of stay(1st three months),
Must carry all the service provider Mobile numbers of your home so that when your family or kids are in trouble you can help them out,
Do not forget to carry your Credit and debit card. Also handover one debit card to your spouse so that He/she can withdraw money at ease in your long absence.
If no one is there to start up your car on regular interval, disconnect your car battery to prevent it from discharging,
Spend maximum time in the office to keep yourself engaged instead going back to AME House/rented home, Being alone at home it is very easy to get depressed,
Get your medicine always at hand so that it is easily accessible in emergency,
Take care of your food habit. Your health is of utmost important. You can not afford to get ill. Leave will be denied. Avoid eating outside,
Every one knows his grey area and here one will have ample time to enhance knowledge in that subject. Do it if you can.
Make your presence felt at the station. Know your right as engineer and take the things in your own hand.
At last, one has to cooperate fully with SM, APM and Staffs for smooth sailing. Initially one may face some problem but at the end of Phase 1(1st 3 Months) things will get settled.
Be prepared that you are not going to be relieved for 90 days, mentally you will be at peace.
With best wishes.
Friday, June 3, 2011
LOK PAL BILL-a birds eye View
LOKPAL BILL, a journey to nowhere since 40 years, was launched by Sh Jayapraksh Narayan to eradicate corruption in our society.
The administrative committee (ARC) recommended in October 1966 the institution of office of a Lokpal at centre and Lokayukta in the states with wide statuary power.
The bill was 1st introduced in parliament in 1968 to the then Prime minister Smt Indira Gandhi and thereafter it was reintroduced to the prime minister in succession Sh Morarji Desai, Sh Rajiv Gandhi, Sh V P singh, Sh Devegoda and to Sh Atal Bihari Vajpai. Each time bill either lapsed or the format of the bill was changed purposefully to exclude prime minister and MPs.
Enactment of this bill was initially thought of eradicating/or dealing the cancerous disease which has spread to the nation as a whole. Though it was never thought to be a magic wand but law once passed and implemented in its actual form has enough teeth to curb this disease by more than 95%.
Sh Anna Hazare has a strong belief of if bill passed, as it was on the floor of 1977 loksabha, will become an effective tool to get rid of corruption from our society.
Bills of 1971 empowered the Lokpal to enquire into both a Grievance and an Allegation.
Grievance:-was defined as a claim by a person that he had sustained injustice or hardship in consequence of maladministration.
Allegation:-covered not only corruption or lack of integrity but also abuse of public office to secure gain or to cause harm or hardship to another.
The bill which was further produced in 1977 included a wide definition of Misconduct whereby if any one in public directly or indirectly allows his position to give undue favour to anyone or his known or causes harm or hardship to another are liable to be questioned, investigated and punished.
Thus the 1977 bill includes even Prime minister whereas bill of 1971 was excluding PM. Under it, the government would have no power to prevent an investigation or inquiry from being held if required by any person. It would have no hand in selection of judges and investigating agency.
In a simple word, the bill was empowering any person to make a complaint of misconduct to the governor against a present or past holder of any of the offices specified.
The 1977 Lokpal bill was headed by Sh Shyam Nandan Mishra the then famous foreign minister. JPC found its provision too wide and rejected stating that since MPs do not exercise any executive powers they should not be treated at par with public men exercising such power therefore the concept of misconduct must be different for them.
The bill lapsed on the dissolution of Loksabha in July 1985 and format was amended by then law minister Sh AK Sen when Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime minister. It has been restricted only to the criminal offence of bribery under Indian penal code or the prevention of corruption act 1947.
1985 amended bill read as no prosecution shall lie on any complaint, report, information or otherwise and no court shall take cognisance of any offence on the basis of the same or substantially the same allegations in the complaint.
In other words Lokpal probe would bar prosecution in the courts. The lokpal has no power to award punishment at all. It can do no more than report to a Prime minister or union minister. However in its original format includes all the public man i.ePM to MPs,all the government officials for their misconduct and lokpal was empowered to investigate and punish.
The exact replica of amended bill of 1985 format was produced to successive Lok sabha there on during VP Singh, HD Deve goda, and Atal Bihari Bajpai government whereby if passed an anaemic Lokpal could do no more than report to the prime minister, while ousting the court jurisdiction effectively by a parallel judiciary of sorts.
For an effective Lokpal, The selected person must
Have Jurisdiction in respect of both maladministration and misconduct,
Be a former judge of the Supreme Court or a former chief justice of High court,
Have a jurisdiction over a wide range of public man (PM, MPs senior civil servants so on)
Have its independent investigating agency not to be dependent on CBI.
Have the power to launch prosecutions himself and order vacating of office
It would be best to mend constitution to give him constitutional status comparable to that of CAG.
Sh Anna Hazare to Baba Ram dev along with million of people have ignited a fire in each heart of our citizen. Now those involved in corruption have started sensing heat of the flame which may be in nascent stage today but fire will be seen soon.
Lokpal bill which has seen many prime ministers in its journey seems to reach to its final destination in one or two years. And that day will be marked as another day of freedom in sovereign India.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Page 2 syndrom
(...take it on lighter side )
Please be aware that you are not getting the symptom of Page 2 Syndrome. Many of us are in the influence of this. It is better to know in detail about the symptom before we are being caught by this disease.
Symptoms of Page 2 Syndrom
Please ensure that you want to listen every moment from your friend that he talks about Page 2 of salary slip,
Whenever you receive a call of your office friend you are talking about PLI and the missing page 2 of salary slip,
You keep checking your mail box each time you logged in about Page 2,
Frequency of visiting your mailing site has increased to more than 150%,
You feel depressed and irritating,
Your BP is slightly higher than usual round the clock,
Frequency of disagreement to your spouse on any related matter has increased since few days,
You don’t care now much about your kids need,
You feel like be quite at home and sleepy,
If 80% symptoms as stated above are affirmative then it is sure that you are more likely to be prey of page 2 syndromes.
Precautions
Adopt any method of YOGA what you do to control your BP, Blood Sugar and to reduce your stress level.
As such no medicines are advised,
Inculcate humour in your life style out of it, This is the lowest phase of sinusoidal curve and sure like any other thing of life this will also not last for a longer period,
Avoid the above symptoms as controls on such emotions are in our own hand. Clinical illness is further dangerous as if one is going to be hospitalised in any of our panel hospitals be sure that being an employee of a bankrupt company they will disown us as it is done by the war prisoner.