On June 14, 2008, I visited the G-9 Markaz Post Office for depositing a Sui gas monthly bill. There was a change this time there and a burqa-clad lady was handling the job on this seat. Work was being done very slowly. Waiting for 20 minutes and seeing her progress, I asked one of her colleagues, "Where is the manager because his seat is vacant". The reply was that "he is coming". It was already 11'O clock. Then, in a somewhat louder voice, I said to the staff that in a commercial bank's rush hours, a manager is supposed to be there to help. But the workers were quite at ease and indifferent. At this point, one of them came to help her and the line moved a little bit faster. I asked him that when was this lady posted here and whether she had been provided with some training. He said, "This is her training". It was astonishing that she was being trained on the job at the cost of customers' time and convenience. As far as I know, there is a full-fledged department of training but that may be for senior officers. The juniors do not need the luxury of proper training. -MIR TABASSUM MAIRAJ, Islamabad, via e-mail, June 17.