EAT IT OR DO NOT EAT IT

Not more than two days back the bus I was going by stopped in front of a hotel. Albeit I was not starving, I decided to have some snack as I thought there was no fixed time for dinner. The bus, which had taken off at half past four stopped just after the journey of three hours. As far as I am concerned, almost all of the passengers had managed junk foods, maybe none of use was starving when they stopped the bus for snack. What stunned me there was that prices of the snacks, junk foods were higher than the food that we pay for at Kathmandu.Revival of the same tradition has distressed not only me but also all the passengers who have been setting off their hometowns. The same overrated tickets, costly food items, unhygienic food stuffs, unnecessary stoppages at different places for eating.
Even though the govenment officials have commenced inspecting quality, procedures of foods, supply of foodstuffs, date expirey of various food items, the owners of the hotels that are being run by the roadside have been turning their blind eyes to the praiseworthy campaign of the government. It is a great challenge to the government. The hotel owneres who are supposed to make a strong commitment to serve hygienic and qualitative foods don't seem to be serious about the customers' health. Their mind is obsessed with money. They have been behaving like ill-natured persons. On the one hand, the passengers are worried of tickets that we hardly get during festive months, on the other hand they suffer from the consumption of unhygienic and expired food items during festive time.
This is not a new problem to us, but the problem that we have been facing is that the government hasn't taken any action yet against these people who are playing with the life of customers. The problem can be solved easily in case the government tries. The officials who have been inspecting and monitoring different hotels, shops, industries, factories in Kathmandu need to do the same thing in different places where the passengers lunch and dine unwillingly. The passengers who have been eating lunch and dinner during their journey are not happy rather they are eating, for it is their obligation. Moreover, during Dashain not only transportation fare is increased unscientifically but also the bus staff get a great deal of comission from the hotels where they make passengers buy things.
Apart from these complaints, the food that is served to the bus staff is completely different from the food that is served to other passengers. Is it justice? Is this what a passenger expects after paying costly price? Does the money they earn by malpractising give them satisfaction forever? A very strong law should be made for such people so that this type of practice is never exercised. I suggest that the passengers be aware themselves of it. If the passengers are going far off by bus, they can carry readymade or homemade food. They can buy all the junk foods they need before getting on bus. As no passenger goes to a highway hotel to eat or buy food items, won't the corrupt hoteliers learn a lesson?

(This article was  published in the Kathmandu Post in 2011)

The Chief Editor