Marketing Menace - I

In front of one shopping complex at Madurai, I was waiting for my two wheeler to come from parking stand, my wife went to took the vehicle out. At that time I noticed, one person entering into the same complex from the road. He also came by two wheeler. He was driving vehicle while talking over cell phone, keeping phone between his neck and shoulder. No wonder, after ten years if it happens to see lot of people with tilted neck. In 2000 and 2002, head set  was not in use or no socket to connect with cell phone. When you are driving two feeler in this posture, driver might not have full control on vehicle and chances are more to miss the traffic. He might be much used to it, but I felt so uncomfortable and told him, If I get a call, I used to stop the vehicle for a minute, attend and proceed. He replied thank you so much, no one did concern about this and at the end he added his master piece that he liked my body language and the way I conveyed him.  Naturally  human being are much permeable to adulation, right!, so how I am going to be exception out of it. He gave his card and said, evening  he wanted to meet me and wished to discuss lot about expanding his customer circle. Immediately realized  that I invited the problem, at right time my wife came with vehicle, I said bye to him without sharing any of my contact details, silently sat behind her and left the place without leaving any trace behind.

Every one wants to earn money, that is fine but not at the cost of some one or making some one as a scapegoat. In the busy market, they are doing marketing. Once in Chicago, in one of the vegetable shop at Devon street, some one aged around 50 to 55, first he smiled at me, then I too smiled. In fact I did not have time to talk, already time was 8PM, after that I need to drive for two and half hours to go to my town. He enquired, where I was from? I told him. He replied that next week they are also coming there. I did not understand, what do I need to do for it? Shop was already crowded, no place to pick the vegetable with the trolley, my son was also crying, but he was least bothered about all these things. Next he asked, what are you doing? I could not pay full attention to the question. Just replied that I am working. He laughed loudly, might be that was the biggest joke for him. Again he went in detail, “no no, on what you are working? and how was your pay?”. I told him politely, “sir give me some time now, we will talk later, at the earliest I need to leave, I have to drive back for long way”, but somehow I slipped my phone number, I wished to give him junk number, but as I was in hurry and out of reflex, I gave him my right contact number.

As he said, next week without fails, he came there and called me up and asked “when we could meet?” He narrated that he was having new concept for improving the life of monthly waged people, who are just living pay check to pay check. He described himself as savior of world. For anyone, coming across this kind of character was not going to be first or last time. Patiently I explained him that I never interested. Even then he was insisting me why I should not come and listen to his live improving lecture. Repeatedly he was asking for my address. He wanted my whole family to listen and get benefited, what a great people? full time thinking about others well fare only! what else to say!?. At the end, he said his wife also came with him, she wanted to see my child, because last week they could not see him well in the market. Then I started enjoying and decided to put myself in a test, that how long I could talk without giving any clue about my address. Already I gave my phone number to them and being paid for it, again by mistake if my address was leaked out, then immediately I have to run somewhere else. Will we burn house for mosquitoes? but this kind of torture is worse than  that. We only have to be very conscious of saying NO. Once if you made up your mind to say NO, no need to give any explanation, if reason is given, you will be corned again with those horrible well wishers work around.

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