There is no end to how inventive we Indians are! No sooner is a curb placed on us than we manage to find ways to wriggle out of it! If they say, stand in line we will of course find ways to not stand in line! In Kerala it was the slipper proxy that made an appearance. Now we have Book my Chotu; the online service to hire help by the hour… help for anything, including standing in line for us!
Fed up with the lines, people let their chappals do the job of standing in line.
People are also using their passbooks, some rocks and a slip of paper or other identifying object.
This is an Indian start up that lets you ‘rent’ someone to stand in line for you.
This is how: So you hire someone from bookmychotu.com and pay them to stand in line for you. When your turn comes, you simply swap places with them.
Need help around the house? Want someone to take your grandmother shopping? Need help hosting a party? Hire help by the hour. Reduced packages are available for up to 8 hours.
Many don’t have time to stand in line; many Indians are unemployed and are happy to do a simple job such as standing in line and get paid for it. Many see this as a win-win situation; a clever idea by a smart startup.
There were people who had a problem with the use of the word chotu as well as the idea that you can hire and pay people to do anything you want.
For some, the word chotu implies child labour and the service itself speaks of a certain elitist/ classist mindset.
Of course the stand up comics had their take on the whole situation.
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