There’s something to be said for good old-fashioned Parsi courtesy — especially in a city where status is measured by how loud and visible you can be. This is a story about the venerable Tata group. These days, work on the old JRD Tata bungalow, ‘The Cairn’ and its neighbouring estate has begun in full swing. (Regrettably, the open tree-filled space around the bungalow will soon give way to row houses).

Now, a couple of security guards posted there had started the rather annoying practice of blowing a shrill whistle at the drop of a hat — to alert a worker or to prevent a car from blocking the gate. A resident from the neighbouring building, who has a particularly acute allergy to noise, decided to take the matter up. He called Ratan Tata’s private secretary and whined about his peeve. Voila. Within a day, the secretary got back to him and said, "Sir, the matter has been taken care of. No more whistle-blowers." And sure enough, the man could hear the chirping birds again.

We’d just like to know how many big shots have trained their personal assistants thus. Good manners come from the top.