Commuting woes...

Commuting by trains is not an easy job. It needs courage, braveness, fearlessness and an arrogant gait and attitude. Be it a local train or an outbound express train, possession of all these qualities is a must. The whole story starts from the ticket counter itself. You are getting late for a meeting, or for your job or to meet your loved one, you stand in the queue for a good half an hour or so and suddenly someone comes to you and says, “Kya aap mera bhi ticket nikalenge?” [Aise logon ko dekhkar to jee karta hai ki inka upar ka ticket katwa doon :)] I call these kind of people as ‘ghuskhors’. (In Hindi, ghooskhor means the one who takes bribe and in Marathi, it is a sarcastic expression for the ones who come in between.) If you dare to say NO or say “Are we mad to stand in the queue for such a long time?”, they give you an expression of neglect and that you’re a just a ‘tuchha jeev’ surviving on this earth and that you should forget all this social welfare and get back to work!! I hate such people and strongly disapprove of their existence on this earth ;).

There is an another category of people who commute by trains called the ‘Ever-bimaar’ types. The ones who commute by Pune-Mumbai trains will be in a better position to understand this praanijat (species). These women (as I travel in the ladies compartment, which is wrongly termed as ‘ladies’, I can give only their example.), who are generally monthly pass-holders believe that the whole Pragati or Intercity Express is a gift of the Indian railways to them and they can (mis-) utilize it in the way they want to. They sleep on the seat on which 3 people can sit and when asked to get up, they make an ugly face and say “Main bahut bimaar hoon.” This is the reason they tell everyday, so they are the ‘ever-bimaar’ types. They don’t have the humanity and courtesy to offer seats to elderly women or women carrying babies and small children. They just say “I am bimaar.” I think that’s all they have been taught in life. These types should sit at home and not travel at all, that will surely cure their illness (and that of others too!!).And ofcourse, there are sant-atmas also, who offer place to the elderly and the sick people and stand in the queue to get tickets without even trying to break the law. (the one’s like me J).I think appropriate measures should be taken by the railway authorities, police and aware and conscious commuters like us to make the above mentioned species extinct from planet Earth and do good to its deserving citizens. (What say?)So the next time your in a queue and someone asks you to take a ticket for them, DO NOT encourage such people.

And in the trains, if you see these ladies sleeping and occupying the whole seat, don’t hesitate and just empty your water bottle and wake them up from their slumber…..!