💬 The spinning circle on mobile data when I'm in a hurry

Petrol pump on the Ring Road, 11 at night, tank on empty, and the UPI payment won't go through. The circle on my phone kept spinning. The guy behind the machine kept looking at me. 3 cars were waiting behind my bike. Someone honked. I held my phone up like it'd help. I tapped refresh 9 times. I counted. I know refreshing doesn't help. I did it anyway. It's never a problem when I'm just scrolling. A slow page doesn't bother me at all. I once watched a 3 minute video load in 2 pieces and didn't even look up. But the moment I need something, directions or an OTP or a bill, the network dies. I'm certain it senses the hurry. My mobile data has a sense of humour like that. The pump guy finally said, sir, cash? I had 70 rupees. The fill was 400. I pulled out my second phone and tried a different SIM. Stood there sweating. It went through on the second try, after about 6 minutes of me standing in the light. I thanked him way too much. He said, no problem, but he didn't look like it. Last week the same thing happened on a bridge. I tried to check the route and lost signal. Now I screenshot anything I might need and keep 200 rupees folded in my pocket. My brother says that's what people did in 2005. I said exactly. The 2005 people were right. Still annoying. I still tap refresh. Some habits don't care what year it is.

I download offline maps now before going anywhere new. Learned that in Riyadh, outside an unfamiliar mall. Phone had no signal, the sun was brutal and I was lost for 40 minutes. Doesn't help with payments though. Last month my card app froze at a shop counter. The shopkeeper watched me for about a minute without saying a word. Longest minute of my week.

In the old city it's worse for me. Near Charminar last month my map froze with a delivery due. I was on a bike and the lanes there are about 3 feet wide at the narrow parts. I ended up asking a tea shop guy, who walked me to the address himself. Slower than the map, but I got there on time and he didn't want a tip.

The metro is my version. Signal dies in the tunnel just as a page is half loaded. Now I screenshot anything I'll need, like a ticket or a meeting address, before leaving home. Feels paranoid. But it saved me twice this year, once at Ameerpet with a delayed train. The petrol pump story hurt to read. I'd have paid cash and gone home.