VIP !

There have been numerous ads for new flats going on sale. Enticing they seem, from afar. Only when you go closer, do you realise that the asking rate for these flats is an arm and a leg.
From this birth and the next one too.

You drop the idea and want to walk away. Only to be enticed into seeing the sample flat. And the salesman wants you to remove your shoe to go inside and look at the sample flat.

You frown hoping that he gets the translation of the frown as ‘you must be nuts to ask me to remove my shoe’. Surprisingly it works. He asks you not to bother, and leads you to another part of the room. To this box.


He asks you to put your leg into the box. And voila, there is a plastic cover that envelopes the footwear. Like a spiderman web. Or something like that.

And tells you that after walking about in those blue semi-transparent overalls, you can discard the plastic and walk away !! And keep your shoes on.

You stare open mouthed. The salesman is quick to spot that all his talk about the flat, its layout and features didn’t get you as excited as this plastic vending gizmo. He adds. ‘This is for VIP customers sir. We cant ask everybody to remove their shoes’ !

VIP customer ! You try best to control the laugh. A chuckle escapes. And almost at the same time, he says, ‘In the US this is used in hospitals. Doctors use them’.

You are silent. Still struggling to come to terms with a label like VIP customer, and a special distinguishable perk : A blue plastic covering your shoe.

He walks you around the sample flat. It is immaculate. He explains every corner and commode. With a swollen chest and beaming pride, almost certain that he would get you to buy the flat, he asks, ‘So, sir…do you have any questions?’

And you answer. In a hesitant tone.

‘err…can i keep these plastic covers on my shoes?’

His swollen chest shrivels. He still smiles. And walks you to the door.You walk with pride. You are a VIP. With a funny blue plastic on your shoe as proof.

22 thoughts on “VIP !

  1. Sajan says:

    LOL… what all innovations people come up with. Good that you bump into such interesting stuff.
    We had similar plastic cover shoes given inside Arun Ice Cream and Arokya Milk factories….as protective gear… not to contaminate the place.
    You can cut-paste the links below to see the photos
    http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y224/sajan14/arkoyafactory1.jpg
    http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y224/sajan14/arkoyafactory2.jpg

  2. Rush says:

    lol..super techy shoe covers!!

    As far as ive seen, the poeple like carpenters, cable people who walk into ur house, especially when its snowing outside and their shoes are wet from walking in the snow…they resort to putting on these blue covers..and its manually done, they have a pair in their toolbox/ pocket.

    A machine which pops up and covers ur shoes..India is in its advanced stage!!

    i havent seen doctors walking around in these? but yeah maybe the VIP ones…the surgeons inside the operation theatre? me wonders!!

  3. hahahaha….wonder all the attention was diverted towards those lovely “VIP” plastic shoe covers :)!!
    I guess he was not selling the flat but rather marketing those VIP stuffs..hehehe!!
    Thanks for posting this post with those lovely pics Kavi!!!

  4. Sriram says:

    I thought they do this only in high-tech bio labs. I guess the newly laid marble floor (?) is too precious as well.

    “err…can i keep these plastic covers on my shoes?”

    lol.

  5. niranjani says:

    Well, Well, Well…useful contraption, can come in handy if one extends it to cover the entire body as a protection against the flu 🙂 Just kidding!

  6. I guess it can now be revealed that you have been put under the P-Plus security category. There was an X-ray device under the automatic plastic footware gizmo, and the nation has just acquired an X-ray image of your feet. Special VIP biometrics….

    And the stuff actually looks like you are wearing disposal Mojaries….Hmm.

  7. Swatantra says:

    Cute!! We have these bags at the most of the food industries also,for the hygiene.

    I liked his idea of making u feel VIP.. Cute post!!

  8. I saw man made version of this on the streets of commercial street last week, when I was returning from the Adobe Dev Summit. It was raining heavily and a man on a two wheeler was showing off his shoe cover.

    Now, that idea has moved from there and making news! 🙂

  9. manju says:

    Wow! How do you find these interesting things, Kavi? You must have an antenna guiding you towards them!

    Or maybe you have some hidden magnet due to which the unusual is attracted towards you!

    Whatever the case may be, congratulations on becoming a VIP!

  10. sujata says:

    Is this the latest trend going on..there was a time when we searched for a flat in India and went to places that were in, out and also very very much out of our budget, but never came across this blue plastic to envelop my footwear. I am thinking my kids would have gone berserk with that machine!! I would have too..putting my hands and legs into it!!

  11. sangeeta says:

    hi VIP…
    came here from swatantra…and read a few of your posts …liked your writing n the pun..

    and after this one incident i wonder if the agent offered anybody those covers….er.. the distractions…lolz..

  12. Neha says:

    hahaha, gimme the address as well, even I need those blue covers 😉 I will even pretend to be a VIP..lolzzz

  13. Lou says:

    The salesman tells the truth. I work in a hospital, and everyone wears the shoe covers on the operating room floors (not anywhere else). Supposedly they are keeping it germ free..but when I see the blue covers still on the shoes in the cafeteria, I wonder..

    We also have paper shorts for the patients to wear for examination. Then we throw them away. Perhaps you would like a pair of them, Kavi, to match your paper shoes!

    Just don’t go out in the rain..LOL

  14. Thank God nothing for hands & head.

  15. nsiyer says:

    Interesting stuff you come across, take snaps and write aboutthem.I am just wondering what the salesman would have thought about when you were clicking snaps of yourself wearing those covers.If not anything I may sell the covers would have been his thought.

  16. Making you feel like a VIP is a good negotiations strategy.

    He says ‘Fixed Rate’ when it comes to buying the flat. And the VIP in you feels guilty about asking discount.

    Vivek

  17. Kavi, you’d perhaps progress onto Z- level security soon, courtesy blue plastic over yr shoes…Had fun!:)

  18. LadyFi says:

    Everyone in Sweden always takes off their shoes before going inside. In the winter, you wear those plastic blue things over your shoes in places like schools and dentists… They’re a great invention!

  19. Makes you feel real special, eh? These shoe as are made for walking and touring flats!!

  20. Jeevan says:

    ‘You stare open mouthed’ like how I read this now!

    Very innovative to say and it might turn people to live with shoes by just changing covers alone.

  21. Kavi says:

    Sajan : Ah the innovations. Life runs on it. Doesnt it !!

    Interesting to note your escapades at Arun !! 🙂

    Rush : I guess we do things slightly differently here in india !! Whatsay !?! 🙂

    NR : Thank you indeed. Maybe that was the ploy. I aint buying no house though !!

    Sriram : i guess so. And also the dirty shoes of visitors and consequent effort in cleaning up the place ! :

    Niranjani : LOL!! I guess the media will have something to crow about too !! 🙂

    Ugich Konitari : Thank you thank you! And does this entitle me to gun trotting black cat commandoes too!! I wish..! 🙂

    Swatantra : Thank you thank you !! 😉

    Kamal : I wonder who got the idea from whom !! 🙂

    manju : Hidden antenna…!! hmm. Maybe i am extra-terrestrial VIP ! 🙂 Thank you !!

    Sujata : Hmm. And about the kids going bersek..well, yes. It applies to adults too. Certain things are not posted on the blog you see 😉

    Sangeeta : Welcome here. And thanks for those wondeful words. I am not sure if this blue contraption is working either !!

    neha : Sure thing. The trouble with wishes is they often come true. And then you realise that it perhaps is not what you wished for !

    Lou : Paper shorts !! OOoh How sexy would that be !!! And ofcourse, there are rain dances that are in vogue here..hmm. I guess i need to meet you sometime !! 🙂

    Hobo : 🙂

    NS Iyer : Sir, i am not sure. Just not sure, what he was thinking !! 😉

    VSP : i guess so sir. But unfortunately for him, when you dont bite the VIP bullet, his machine gun has no effect ! 🙂

    NM : Welcome back ! Its been a long time. And sure it looks like you are the VIP ! When you make fleeting visits here or at your space too !! 🙂

    How have you been.. Miss your writing !

    LadyFi : Sweden is a different place i guess. And winters must be very different over there !! 🙂

    Keats : Yes. Made for walking around. Interesting. Isnt it ?

    Jeevan : Innovation breeds existence. Isnt that so Jeevan ?

  22. Aleta says:

    Hehe. People at Niagara were given some special shoes to wear on one of the tours, because it was a slippery area.

    Cute, though and yes, some doctors do wear them.

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