Taking Mac to the cleaners

Mac was a fault-finder with a mission. Everyday, he and his pet pooch Pooper would troll the streets of GovCairo looking for muck to rake up. GovCairo, being a usual sort of city, had it's share of muck to rake. So every once in a while, he would find a really juicy bit of muck - and would go to town with it. To some of the news-tablet makers, Mac was a hero. He gave them muck to feed on, when they were starving. They lapped it up and praised him. That made him feel like he and his Pooper are the most upright citizens in the whole world.

One day, Mac found out that the city spends a lot of money on street cleaners. He went and demanded that the city admin fire all the cleaners. They are a useless drain on public money, he said. I never see them working, he said. The streets don't need cleaning, they are already clean, he said. They should be building GovPyramids; and since they aren't, it is their fault, he said. When the city admin refused to oblige, Mac got upset. He threw a tantrum, became abusive to the cleaners and anyone who didn't support his rant about the unfairness of it all. For good measure he also ranted about the city admin, calling them ribbon-cutters, cronies to ribbon-cutters and MA-Lits (a clever insult he often used to mean illiterates, he once explained).

Well, here is the deal Mac. You never see them because they work early and you wake up late. Since you don't understand street cleaning tech (despite your fancy degree), even when you see them, you mistake them for someone else. The streets are clean because they are doing their job. No, no one told them to build GovPyramids. It is hard to build GovPyramids, when your job is something else; and when the GovPyramid masons' guild wouldn't let you anywhere their turf.

Some of the cleaners feel Mac needs help. You know, a bit off his rocker. A marble or two missing. No one could be that bad, ranting and trolling for a living. But heck, who knows? They send him their "Get well soon" wishes.

The cleaners do wonder whether Mac's problem is also being exacerbated by the news-tablet makers and muck-hungry public who won't double-check their facts and give Mac the cheap thrills for his trolling.

Note: This unfortunate story-from-the-real-life had to be written due to repeated allegations about the IT-Street cleaners by a Mac-gone-berserk.

Update (18-Oct):
Just saw Mac's response to my uncharacteristically acidic comments on the BabuBlogger site. Point well taken, Mac. I (honestly) don't know if I was jealous of your rising fame, but thank you. I will introspect. Perhaps you too might find an iota of truth in what I say. And yes, all the very best to you.