Experience is the best teacher. And I learnt it the hard way standing in a queue for almost three hours to withdraw money from a bank in Mumbai’s Sion area. People from all walks of life — the lower middle class, the middle class and upper middle class — street vendors, housewives, workers, professionals and students — became impatient as the process was delayed inside the bank.

Senior bank employees came out frequently to interact with angry people, assured them all possible assistance and also expressed regrets for inconvenience. Similar situations must have prevailed elsewhere, but let’s not rule out, as an aberration, unwarranted behaviour from the hapless bank employees and annoyed citizens.