Macho-man, anyone?

Being a daily traveler on the dirty but trusted Pallavan Transport Corporation buses, I always seem to have a hard time finding an empty seat in the women's section (by the way, it is clearly spelt out in Tamil as "Pengal"). That seems to have no effect on the dumb "Aangal" or the darker sex! They seem to have the air of impression that the women's section is their sole property and refuse to budge, even if a large group of women hover around them, or request them to get off the seats. Brings to mind, a real amusing incident...there was a saffron-clad guy (probably on his way to Sabarimala), who sat near the window in the front-most women's seat near the bus door. When I requested him to get up, it being a women's seat, he said he was getting off in the next stop. The next stop came and went, and he did not even move an inch. So, I rolled up a newspaper, tapped on his shoulder (out of respect of not 'polluting' his vows for the 48 day 'viratham' or penance!), and chanted 'Sami Saranam Ayyappa' in a louder tone, and told him that his time was up. And lo, it worked!:) Boy, these men can be stubborn mules...with absolutely no respect for the elders, pregnant women, or the fairer sex in general! Duh!