When it comes to being punctual, many in Pune believe it is better to be late or even later.
Maybe it is in the genes, which only Charles Darwin would have been able to decipher. Or in the passage of time which is best left to do what it does best – pass. Pssst, it’s Pune Standard Time.
The other possibility is that the relaxed lifestyle of the city has a numbing effect on Punekars.
With due apologies to the many who acknowledge that time is of essence, it must be admitted that Pune has earned a sort of reputation of being a somewhat “laid back city”.
Appointments must be taken at your own risk. Delays ranging from 15 minutes to hours are the norm, take it or leave it.
Office staff, particularly government ones, saunter in whenever they want even if biometrics log in their entry and exit. In between, time off is taken frequently for drinking cups of tea or chewing of tobacco.
Let’s not forget the stores. If you need to buy electronic equipment or some music, or just clothes and shoes, MG Road is a good choice. But you must be willing to venture out after 11am when the shutters go up.
And do remember that many shut shop at 1pm and return at around 5pm, after a heavy lunch and well-earned slumber. Close up time is 7.30pm as pressing matters have to be attended to.
So what could that be the reason for this time freefall?
“Let’s forget traffic jams, poor roads etc. Time is a personal thing and if you know you have to keep an appointment, then leave early,” says Mahesh Kulkarni, 50, an engineer.
“I also travel an hour to reach work and make sure I leave nice and early so that I make it on time or even before time,” he adds.
“Why only Pune? It’s an Indian thing. Haven’t you heard that we go on IST, the Indian stretchable time?” says housewife Neeta Jain.
“I have learnt to anticipate and be patient. If someone is coming to repair my fridge at say, 11pm, I do all my housework, watch TV, nap etc, as I have anticipated that his arrival will be around 3pm.”
“I am always on time, whether the other party arrives or not,” says student Shekhar Gupte. “Time is precious and we must not waste it. All my friends believe in that too.”
That is the energy of youth talking. But will it be maintained?
Academician and former sales officer Sudeep Limaye has another spin to it.
“I have been in sales in many cities in India. For example, in Delhi, people have got better at time management as transport facilities improved.
“The availability of the metro has really helped people to cut travel time and indirectly boosted punctuality.
“Unfortunately, transportation and traffic have got worse by the day in Pune. In my case, say 10 years ago, my body clock was accustomed to reach point A to B in 10 minutes.
“I was primed to leave at a certain time to stay punctual. Now the same journey takes 25 minutes but my body clock is still stuck at 10 minutes.
“At the same time, let us not forget the city’s culture. It was said that the Nawabs of the erstwhile states of India proclaimed that it was morning whenever they got up.
“Looks like Pune is on the same wavelength. We are on time when we eventually arrive,” he adds.
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