After joining my new assignment, I decided to commute to my office which is a good 15 kms from my residence by the Delhi Metro. The first day itself was baptism by fire. I had taken an early train believing I will be able to beat the rush. But, alas, it was not be. As I entered the train, the wave of commuters behind me pushed me hard so much so that I was sandwiched between the fellow passengers. My posture did my physical instructors in school proud as I stood in attention with my tummy tucked in and chest out and must have made Salman Khan envious for my chest had expanded to his size. At the end of the 30 minute journey I collapsed on the nearest bench on the platform like a deflated balloon. Whew.
As I became a regular, the mind got attuned to the train schedules. But then I was exposed to the uncertainty of things, when one evening there was a long time gap between two trains. As such there was a mad rush to get into the first train that in and I course boarded it too uncertain about the arrival of the next one. Lo ji, human sandwich ban gaye ji. It was the replay of the first day army drill” Tummy in chest out”. Funnier still was the announcement by the engine driver on the PA system to de board the train due to rush and board the next train. Nobody was moving an inch. Not for anything in the world. The train stood on the Rajiv Chowk (Connaught Place) Station due to malfunctioning of the doors. And I was being squeezed like a pet Ketchup sauce bottle, yet, I kept putting up a brave front. On reaching the station I tumbled out of the coach and stood on the platform gasping for fresh air as if I had reached the summit of Mt Everest.
Then I rediscovered the lost world of the Radio and shifted to a daily dose of Radio FM while I travel on the Metro. While I listen to the FM, the sound is accompanied with Visuals. Surprised .As I station myself by the closed door opposite the operative sliding doors of the coach, I put on my Observation sight, and I am treated to a LIVE telecast of the Soap called LIFE. And everyday there is a different episode/visual. The usual is the Fashion Fiesta as my boarding time matches with the Office timing as well as the University classes. Boys and Gals, Ladies and Gentleman board the metro and I refresh my fashion knowledge w.r.t to the trends and what Looks Good and what looks Bad.
The next are daily lessons in moral values. At times when people close their eyes as a pigeon would do on seeing a cat in attempt to ignore to a standing Lady/senior citizen/Ladies with children, morality goes for a toss. But when somebody stops a co passenger from indulging in subtle molestation of another commuter or a senior citizen voluntarily relinquishing a seat for a Lady or children or a young man trying to helping another person to board or de board the metro, the image and belief in morality is resurrected.
Based on the daily observations, decided to categorize the types of people who frequent the Metro:
1) M-2s(Metro Mobiles): All those people who show off their Mobiles in the Metro and talk loudly regardless of the people around.
2) Bo-(Body odours):Those People are either reeking of sweat or are moving about “dry cleaned” i.e donning perfumes, deos or telcom powders to substitute for a bath. (b) This includes all those people who stick their sweating arms, armpits into the faces of other commuters.
© Including those shorties who thrust their oil drenched heads in your faces or stand too close for discomforts.
3) ETs(Eternally tired): (a) Those people who sit on the seats with their eyes shut either in sleep or feigned sleep so as to avoid making eye contact with lady passenger or other needy people and having to vacate their seats.
(b) Those people who keep leaning on their co passengers.
4) His(Hearing impaired): people who have their hands free or headphones inserted in their ears to listen to the music/FM in their cellphones.80-90% passengers are in such a mode.
5) Pokers: This is an irritating breed consisting of people who poke their elbows in the abdomens and stomach of the co passengers on the pretext of holding onto their purses and bags. If it is not their elbows then it is the bags and purses.
6) Lovies: Poor love birds who are either short of time, space or privacy that they deem if fit to mix traveling with frolic. It is either in the form of talking sweet on the phone or mostly actually in person. They are oblivious of the all the people around and also give a damn to all the decency codes.
7) Goody-Goody: These include those people who are courteous and decent to vacate seats or even the safe corners near the doors for senior citizens, ladies and infirm. (b) Those try and maintain certain bodily distance with fellow passangers.
© Let people de board first and board in an orderly fashion.
(d) Those who are indulging in “simran”. There are some people who have a peaceful appearance and also those who exude a sense of calm. Also sometimes we come across people who radiate a feel good factor.
A Delhi Metro Ride is indeed an experience in itself.
jeshi
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