7 things that torment IndiaRATION SHOP QUEUESIt's not true that Indians never queue up. They did, for decades, to get their quota of subsidised rice, kerosene and wheat. This was part of their everyday schedule till liberalisation erased the word 'ration' from our vocabularyLOAD-SHEDDINGThe unkindest cut - that of power - prevails, and it can be 12-14 hours long for many. It hurts industry, hobbles efficiency, and hits growth. With so many areas of darkness, we're still a wounded civilization RUKAWAT KE LIYE KHED HAIIf Doordarshan's logo with its alluring rings sparked anticipation, the message 'Rukawat Ke Liye Khed Hai' proved exasperating. And if it popped up when Chitrahaar or the weekend movie was on, the result could be downright despairTRYST WITH TRUNK CALLSMaking a long-distance call was once an ordeal. You had to first book the call and then wait hours to be connected. Then came the hollering, followed by the operator's (she'd be listening in) warning that the time allotted to your call was over. STD, when it came, felt like a boonTHE NOISY INDIANThe Argumentative Indian is also a noisy, impatient Indian. Blowing one's horn is a collective national disease that shocks western tourists and invites no punitive action from traffic cops TATKAL TROUBLETouts made a killing - and many still do - as railway passengers sweated it out in queues or tore out their hair trying to book tickets online. With the IRCTC website getting lakhs of hits daily and the seats limited, there may be no 'tatkal' relief on this score yetCALL DROPSIndia has more mobile users today than any other country, save China. But all the telecom towers that DoT our urban skylines still can't prevent the sudden death of calls