This is coming a little over a few days after I had the insightful commute by the local train but I feel like it was just an hour ago. So finally I have started commuting by train to work after years and it doesn’t feel too different. Isn’t everything supposed to change with time? Doesn’t look like travelling experience in a local train is one of them.
So my random times of leaving office makes me take a train at different times and so I am yet to be the certified train traveler who can take the correct train each time no matter what time it is. I have had the luck of catching the ladies special train just once in 30 days and been lucky enough to get an empty Andheri train just 3 times!
On this particular day I was in a hurry so I boarded the first train that arrived which was a fully packed Andheri train. Getting in wasn’t that difficult because all you have to do is place yourself in the right spot and people will push you in (as long as you can take care of your handbag & laptop). Once in I did not get time to think which side of the compartment I should stand on as my way was steered by the people who had decided to push me ahead and get me to the right spot (how I wish someone could do that for me in life!) With no place to even move I reluctantly gave in to a lady’s suggestion and kept the laptop on the carrier. What a relief it was!
Then with nothing to really take care of I drifted into the zone I usually do when I am in a crowd. Everything seems to become metamorphic and life seems to speak in funny ways. First thing that struck me was the amount of people occupying the space just at the door when they did not even want to get down on the next station. The others who did want to get down at the next stop kept yelling at them and obviously at the next station they got pushed by the ones boarding as well as by the ones who wanted to get down. And yet this apparently is a cycle, after these guys get down there would be others doing the exact same thing. How funny is it that we want to stand ahead in life and occupy the forward space even when it is not required and all it is gonna get us is pain (and sometimes bruises too ) But then again - Old habits die hard. So at every station with a whole lot of people who should have been standing ahead to get down trying to push their way out it sounded like a delivery room with screams of ‘Push”… “dhakka maro” ! “aree ruko mat..dhakka maro” . . . Whew!
But then women are strong, they manage to push their way out, and push some others out as well in the process. To stop hearing the screams I plugged my ear phones on to listen to some good music. Whoever says music is the best stress buster cannot be more correct. Immediately from a chaotic train ride the commute started to feel like a nice journey back home. But then again with ears muted to the chaos eyes became more observant. So here stood in front of me a huge crowd that did not technically need to hold on to something to avoid falling as there was no space to fall. And from between the waves of tired working women emerged a budding entrepreneur . . . a woman selling bindis and hair clips. She maneuvered her way through the crowd like a surfer cutting through the waves. And then the magic of human mind was displayed. Women who were finding it difficult to keep other’s hair out of their faces now were able to find enough space to hold the box of bindis and clips and chose the one they want! Well shopping is a stress buster too! Trust me, if you travel by train you will notice that area surrounding the odd shop seller is less stressed out with lesser women yelling at each other. I wouldn’t dare to imagine what would happen if two women landed up wanting the last clip of a type though!
And yes the crowd, the chaos, the fatigue gets to you and no human is incapable of stupidity. We had crossed Khar already and yet the crowd did not seem to lessen which got me worried. Had I boarded a Borivali or Virar train? I checked with a lady and was ensured it’s an Andheri train. So we passed Santacruz and even Vile Parle went by but the crowd did not yield. From where I was standing, getting down seemed impossible if it turned out to be a Virar or Borivali local. So just when Andheri station was approaching I asked the girl standing in front of me if it was the last stop, to which she affirmed, and to which I asked her if she was getting down! To her surprise and my embarrassment I landed up asking such a stupid question. Later when I thought of it I couldn’t stop laughing at myself. I must have given a reason to her to tell her friends that “some people ask such stupid questions” Well I guess we all contribute the global list of “stupid questions people ask” list… I made mine
So I wondered to myself, am I usually this stupid or was it just a ‘Train Reaction’
So my random times of leaving office makes me take a train at different times and so I am yet to be the certified train traveler who can take the correct train each time no matter what time it is. I have had the luck of catching the ladies special train just once in 30 days and been lucky enough to get an empty Andheri train just 3 times!
On this particular day I was in a hurry so I boarded the first train that arrived which was a fully packed Andheri train. Getting in wasn’t that difficult because all you have to do is place yourself in the right spot and people will push you in (as long as you can take care of your handbag & laptop). Once in I did not get time to think which side of the compartment I should stand on as my way was steered by the people who had decided to push me ahead and get me to the right spot (how I wish someone could do that for me in life!) With no place to even move I reluctantly gave in to a lady’s suggestion and kept the laptop on the carrier. What a relief it was!
Then with nothing to really take care of I drifted into the zone I usually do when I am in a crowd. Everything seems to become metamorphic and life seems to speak in funny ways. First thing that struck me was the amount of people occupying the space just at the door when they did not even want to get down on the next station. The others who did want to get down at the next stop kept yelling at them and obviously at the next station they got pushed by the ones boarding as well as by the ones who wanted to get down. And yet this apparently is a cycle, after these guys get down there would be others doing the exact same thing. How funny is it that we want to stand ahead in life and occupy the forward space even when it is not required and all it is gonna get us is pain (and sometimes bruises too ) But then again - Old habits die hard. So at every station with a whole lot of people who should have been standing ahead to get down trying to push their way out it sounded like a delivery room with screams of ‘Push”… “dhakka maro” ! “aree ruko mat..dhakka maro” . . . Whew!
But then women are strong, they manage to push their way out, and push some others out as well in the process. To stop hearing the screams I plugged my ear phones on to listen to some good music. Whoever says music is the best stress buster cannot be more correct. Immediately from a chaotic train ride the commute started to feel like a nice journey back home. But then again with ears muted to the chaos eyes became more observant. So here stood in front of me a huge crowd that did not technically need to hold on to something to avoid falling as there was no space to fall. And from between the waves of tired working women emerged a budding entrepreneur . . . a woman selling bindis and hair clips. She maneuvered her way through the crowd like a surfer cutting through the waves. And then the magic of human mind was displayed. Women who were finding it difficult to keep other’s hair out of their faces now were able to find enough space to hold the box of bindis and clips and chose the one they want! Well shopping is a stress buster too! Trust me, if you travel by train you will notice that area surrounding the odd shop seller is less stressed out with lesser women yelling at each other. I wouldn’t dare to imagine what would happen if two women landed up wanting the last clip of a type though!
And yes the crowd, the chaos, the fatigue gets to you and no human is incapable of stupidity. We had crossed Khar already and yet the crowd did not seem to lessen which got me worried. Had I boarded a Borivali or Virar train? I checked with a lady and was ensured it’s an Andheri train. So we passed Santacruz and even Vile Parle went by but the crowd did not yield. From where I was standing, getting down seemed impossible if it turned out to be a Virar or Borivali local. So just when Andheri station was approaching I asked the girl standing in front of me if it was the last stop, to which she affirmed, and to which I asked her if she was getting down! To her surprise and my embarrassment I landed up asking such a stupid question. Later when I thought of it I couldn’t stop laughing at myself. I must have given a reason to her to tell her friends that “some people ask such stupid questions” Well I guess we all contribute the global list of “stupid questions people ask” list… I made mine
So I wondered to myself, am I usually this stupid or was it just a ‘Train Reaction’
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