Waiting for Rupees: from a 1971 journey

Waiting for Rupees

My memory places us in Benares, now Varanasi.  By then Vantoz was populated by Brian, Bill, George, Tom and me (Wynn). Back in the European summer we had worked out a system of looking after our cash – we took all we needed, all we had – some travellers’ cheques, some pound sterling and some US dollars (another story there).  We split all this 6 ways, and we each had a money belt to keep it in; the idea being that if one of us were mugged or robbed, only a sixth of our wealth would disappear. Within this system a weekly sub-system emerged as we found out that around 50 pounds sterling was needed to purchase petrol and food, and every six weeks in turn, one of us would dig into the money belt and we’d exchange for local currency.

George was the person who looked after the local currency cash. He was the one most likely to challenge frivolous spending.

“An ice cream would be nice.”

“How far in to the week are we?” George would ask. Behind his question was some quick formulation of his based on the local price of petrol, the rate at which weekly money was being spent, and how many miles travelled so far. And if the answer in George’s mind came out with any doubt about getting to journey’s end, there’d be no ice cream.  This was a good discipline, and clearly our joint decision to put the daily spending in the hands of someone who would naturally question any expenditure, as well as the size of the projected spend was sound.  No surprise then, that George later had a career in project management.

In his turn, George too would have to dig into his money belt for the group’s weekly cash. In Benares it was his turn. By this time our progress through Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India had taught us that banking practice was not a swift affair, and the person doing the changing to local currency job could expect to spend some time at the task, in queues.  I don’t remember changing money myself, and I can’t think I didn’t do it (unless I was not allowed to do it …) so I take it that when I did so, it was straightforward.  Thinking about it now, two of us would go, the second acting as companion. Who went with George that morning? I think it was Bill, but it may have anyone (but me).  The rest of us had dosser duty to perform: watching the world go by; reading books; taking in sounds and smells; enjoying the weather.  It did seem to take some time.  The companion came back to reporting that the waits were interminable, and that George had queried something, so it would still take time.  The weather was fine and we looked forward to a celebratory smoke when he got back.

Banking when it works well and dependably is of necessity a bureaucratic and administratively focused process.  At the time, Indian banks used pins, about 15mm long to pin collections of similar denomination rupee notes together – just like we’d use paper clips. Rupee notes of all values had holes in them.  When George got to the front of the queue and presented his five ten US dollar bills, the teller examined each note carefully.  He refused to accept one which had a hole in it.  George pointed out that it was legal tender and the hole did not invalidate as an item of currency.  Was the manager called?  Some one came to back up the teller. Thus George had to fumble about his person for another, hole free note, which was acceptable.

We know what is coming don’t we?  Rupees were counted out, and handed to George. George examined each note of the pile, selecting those notes which had holes in them to return as not acceptable, and handing them back to the teller asking for them to be replaced with notes which did not have holes. Bank employees remonstrated. They said it was normal practice to pin notes together in India. But, George pointed out, they had refused one of his US currency notes with a hole in it, so all he was doing was using the same quality standard with the notes they were giving him. And no he would not move to allow customers behind him to get to the teller, as he had waited a long time for his turn, just like everyone else, so he’d wait for the hole free notes just here, thanks.  It took ages to find any hole free notes. Several people on the bank side of the banking hall were engaged in holding notes to the light to find hole free ones.  Some were found, but after some time in which the pressure of daily bank reconciliation loomed, banking staff had to plead with George to take rupee notes of good quality, but with the smallest holes. George, being the kind, considerate, and helpful person he is, complied.

June2009