Survival of the Fittest ...... (Part 2 of the Life Lessons from Doubles Series)

Yuh know y i like doubles? Generally speaking, yuh don't have to wait long for it, unless its in Port-of-Spain. (See Rules of Engagement)

Yuh go to the doubles man, yuh worm yuh way through the hungry crowd, yuh say "Gimme one, slight pepper"......... 2 seconds later yuh hand dutty with channa ........ quick and simple

no lines, no formal arrangements , everything is simple

Obviously if you have a louder voice, or a more brazen attitude or if yuh know the doubles-man yuh will get through faster

But thats the point ............. Its a survival of the fittest

That's why i find a line to the doubles man such a counterproductive concept

obviously if the doubles man is serving one at a time and everyone is waiting patiently he's not going to rush ............

a good friend of mine commented on my last post that West ppl have "Broughtupsey" so they can wait ...... but its not a matter of broughtupsey, its a matter of efficiency ....... hungry crowds can be polite and somewhat patient ..... provided that the doubles man doesn't "stick" ........ yuh need to see a junction (Any junction, Anywhere in Trinidad) operate ........... lighting fast reflexes

but anyway on with the story ............ ordering a doubles ....... or any street food for that matter is a situation where the comparative advantage wins

lines and other formal trapping are ways of equalizing the comparative advantage ...... which is what i truly find unfair

Of course doubles is not the best example of this but i have noticed it in a number of fields of competition ...... the team or player with the advantage has to give it up to "level the playing field"

it happened to me and a group of my friends just the other day ...... we we doing a promotional thing for a campus carnival band in UWI (which is a competition) where we competing for band of the year and also trying to sell costumes to make money........ The DJ who is a member of our promotion wore a last-year's-jersey on stage for the band launching ceremony.... and the powers that be minussed 3 points from us ......wha ???

does that make sense ............ they say we had an advantage of drawing more ppl to the band by having a public person wear the jersey at a public event ..........

even if it was an "advantage"... so what ...........

why are winners forced to drop the level of their game to compete with losers ?
why is the spirit of competition being stifled

i am probably the biggest fan of the underdog EVER ............. but who wants to see an underdog win when the over-dog is kept on his leash

what's next ? will the bigger boxer be allowed only to punch with his left hand ??
RIDICULOUS

Competion is a natural order ......... its the primary factor behind evolution ...... better, stronger, faster

Now being being better is put in a negative light, and using one's advantage is seen as being unfair

Just think about it, if everything in nature was lining up to get an equal share we'd all still be amoeba !! :)