Tuesday, July 31, 2007

AirTel signup redux

I now have a number in India.

I can be reached at +91 9906990639. Please respect the time difference (google for current time in delhi) and do not call before 9AM, or after 11PM.

In hindsight, it really wasn't as much of a chore as the Airtel sales reps made it out to be.

Required materials:
1 x photocopy of passport and visa page, 4 rupees
3 x passport photos, taken at photo shop in bazar. 40 rupees.
1 x SIM card + activation fee, 130 rupees.
1 x bribe to kashmiri dodgy guy to fill out reference form, 50 rupees.

Being a total scam artist, the Kashmiri guy wrote the name/address of someone else that he knew back in Srinigar, pocketed my money, and thus couldn't even be traced to the transaction.

I filled out a few forms in the airtel office at around noon-ish, and by 9PM, my phone had been activated and was working.

Considering all the stuff they told me about the difficulties of getting a sim card due to terrorism/security, I was expecting much worse.

Of course, if I turn out to be a bad guy, and use my sim card in some kind of IED bomb remote trigger, the sad bastard in Srinigar whose name is listed as my personal reference is going to get a personal visit from the Indian Security Services.....

Needless to say, I won't be selling on my sim card when I leave - i'll be destroying it.

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