Faulty gates

Imagine your anxiety when the elevator door fails to open, I am not claustrophobic but I can get reasonably anxious. What if this happens to Delhi metro, not something you want to imagine. But this is exactly what happened. I boarded a train from my station, which was not very crowded  today. For the next seven stations everything was normal with no one trying dare devil stunts either (extremely rare, if you ask me). Then suddenly it happened at the next station. Metro was slowing down before approaching the station, it came to an abrupt halt just before the station. The stoppage time was unusually long. Metro resumed speed again and reached the station.  There was a customary announcement about the station name and need to "Mind the gap". But the doors didn't open. There were at least twenty passengers at each gate ready to board the train and a lesser number ready to disembark. Initially people were puzzled, looked like disoriented teenagers (well some of them are) who have not attended any kind of crisis management classes.

Not all doors were stuck, it was just the first boggie which had the malfunction. Rest of the coaches had their doors open up in time. Nevertheless ladies exclusive coach having a door malfunction is a perfect recipe for disaster.

The most interesting part was to hear what the ladies had to say on the incident. One passenger observed the problem is occurring due to regular interruption in gate functioning. She said, "Everyone wants to board the metro at the last moment. They don't care about their safety or damage to gate sensors". While somebody thought it was an electrical problem and there would be low voltage supply leading to circuit damages, others quipped about the low quality coaches (probably China imports!!). The most interesting explanation came from an old lady, she vouched its due the hard braking that drivers resort to, that the doors are jammed.

Listening to all these interesting theory, I realized it took almost 30 minutes to fix the problem. I was already late for my meeting and this was not very helping.

Random conversations

Conversations can be very interesting especially when you are not a participant. Overhearing is not an option in a Delhi metro, people make sure you listen to them. Occasionally they will throw a glance and expect your approval nods. Anyhow some of the idle chat can be interesting such as these excerpts:

Conversation 1
Girl 1: How is this new relationship like, I am sure he is a nice guy

Girl 2: I don't know too early to say anything, he treats me nice. It (read relationship) helps me get a status, attend great parties, great gifts, so I am not complaining

Girl 1: You sure have learnt some lessons from your last relationship. How can you sound so casual and unattached. Teach me these skills

Girl 2: There are no skills, I am just letting it be the way it is. Remember Dey?

Girl: Yes, best friend of your boyfriend. Wasn't he keen on you and wanted you to stay away from your boyfriend?

Girl 2: Yes, but things are different now. He feels my guy considers me really special, he has introduced me to all his friends and shared all his numbers. I have also met his family. Otherwise he uses one particular phone just to flirt around with girls

My take....world has not changed a bit....girls are still easy.....(I know you agree)!!

Conversation 2

Lady: Do you mind sitting properly, this is not a garden in your house

Girl: Well  I will sit like this, if you don't like it then you can stand outside the metro

Lady: You should know to talk properly, if not how to sit

Girl: This is the way I talk and there is absolutely no need for yelling at me. You are not my mom

Lady: If at all your mom taught you some manners, you would know how to treat your elders!

Girl: You should be more concerned about your children learning manners and spare me

Lady: Why is it so hard for you to behave yourself

Girl: Why can't you give up and stay quite. I am not used to be yelled at....this is giving me a headache early in the morning

Lady: I don't yell at everyone. You are a special case

Turns out this girl had a knee injury and had to stretch her leg. Being polite sometime pays, might have avoided this ugly encounter. 

My take....if you don't even have a smile to give, you must be very poor. 

Conversation 3

Dad: Hurry up, the doors will close you will get hurt

Little boy: But why are we going through here.....

Dad: I said, hurry up....

Little boy: I like the speed of the metro, its really fast....

Dad: Go and stand with your mom, hold her hand

Little boy: I will not go there, that is a "Girls" compartment....I am a boy, I will stand with you....

Did I see you smile....I couldn't help myself.

My take....kids are really smart, you can trust them to know all!!!

No Kidding!!!

Yesterday was long day for me. Tired by day long activities, I decided to treat myself to dinner with a long time friend. It's easy to travel in the evening through a metro when traffic delays can play havoc with your plans during peak hours. Though the metros are extremely crowded and boarding a metro can be a task. I have not had a chance to travel in Mumbai locals where my friends tell me about packed coaches and being involuntarily ushered in and out of the train. I am sure Delhi metro can now give fair competition to Mumbai locals.

So, after much deliberation I decided to meet my friend in Connuaght Place (CP) which has decent dine outs. My dinner went well and I decided to take a metro back home. After peak hours the frequency goes down and waiting time for metros can be up to 9 minutes. Not willing to wait I decided to hop on to the metro in front of me with out paying attention to its final destination. The advantage on my route happens to be the common route for two metros. I just have to get down at the transit station and board next train to my home. Before getting down my train, I saw a metro leaving from the other side which was going to my place. I guess the idea wasn't all that smart. Finally ended up waiting for good ten minutes. It was very cold last night. I decided to shield myself from the breeze and stand next to a pillar. Another girl sat on the adjacent bench where I noticed a small bag lying carelessly. Though I am not a thriller novel enthusiast still my imagination started working. I looked around for possible owners, saw a man talking on phone, "Must be his bag", I thought. This was a small jute bag which had a newspaper rolled and neatly tugged on the left side. Zipper of the bag was closed, it seems to contain a lunch box. I was lost in my thoughts looking at people around me. I looked again for the bag hoping silently that it was not there. But, to my irritation it sat there, looking more suspicious then ever. Looking around for security guards I could spot none on the platforms. Mean while few more people had started noticing the bag. One girl told her friend, "I have noticed this bag lying here unattended for sometime. We should tell the security guards about it". His friend replied, "Let it be there, don't touch, you don't want an old aunty coming and pestering you for fiddling with her bag". How true, I thought. We waited for the "Aunty" to appear and tell us she forgot the bag. It was a painful wait. There were some CISF girls in khakhi, who I guess also noticed the bag. The train came and we all boarded the train, few of us still deciding what to do. I looked around for metro helpline number (91-11-155370), which I had not bothered to memorize earlier. I logged on my mobile net and found the number. Called the helpline telling them about the unattended bag that lay there. Adding nervously "It is probably a forgotten lunch box bag, please get it removed from there".

Metro manners are important

I am wondering about all the strange people that I come across these days in Delhi metro. Must be the after effect of writing as I notice an increase in sightings. This morning somebody gasped loudly "Oh God, don't do that....", noticing a teenager trying to put her hand between the closing metro car doors. She wanted to board the train, in desperation she had put her hand to keep the door open. This is a very dangerous thing because mostly the door sensors fail to see the small image and close till they reach the obstruction. She would have severely damaged her hand. Thankfully the doors were not all closed and her hand was saved. But she didn't seem to have learnt her lesson. She tried to push open the door and come in. For a moment doors were again painfully close to squashing her hand. All these obstruction tactics caused the doors to open fully and close again. Undeterred by the events, the girl hopped in through the other door. Once on board every body started telling to be cautious next time. She feigned ignorance and told her friend "This is not the first time that I have done this, everybody does it". I am sure thats not true, this is very dangerous and one can get hurt severely.

Then there was this other girl who was sitting in front me in the metro. I was seeing her pull out a sticker from the mobile screen. Sometimes I am so tired that even smallest of deed ccan hold my attention for a while. It was a very shinny cat with green eyes. I didn't particularly like the animated cat but was interested in knowing the fate of the sticker. She nicely pulled out the sticker and without a second glance tossed it underneath the seats. I had noticed her deed which annoyed me a lot. I was amazed by the ignorance, told her she has dropped something. To which she said "I don't need it anymore its a waste". So I went ahead and picked up the piece of paper. Gave it back to her telling her "then may be you could look for a thrash can and throw it there". She was certainly not amused. She took the piece of paper with anger blazing in her eyes. I am sure I was saved only because the metro was jam packed. She mumbled a sorry and told me she will be more careful in future. Before I could say something she turned her head and put the ear plugs back. I was lucky here for I know cases where people yell right back at you for trying to teach them what I call Metro manners!!!

Sing a song for me

Everyday I see scores of people with ear plugs on listening to music or chatting. Oblivious and occupied in own space they may seem but they are always aware of their surroundings. Often you see the person from left and feel he is chatting with the person standing on right, only to realize that he is on phone. What is uncommom is sighting of a person engrossed so much that they end up unusually stupid. This kid must have received a new gift for he seemed happy to show off with his peers. He was a cool young kid until we got to know his aspirations to become the next Indian Idol. Listening to loud music is pardonable these days. Every second person seems to believe in sharing their personal choice with others. How else can you justify the blaring sounds coming out of people sitting next to you.

All was quiet and suddenly we heard a weird sound coming from his direction. His choice was uncanny, I don't know how many would remember "Aaeo ho meri zindagi meinn tum bahar ban ke" from Raja Hindustani. The whole compartment burst out laughing. He could have very well been on National television for funniest auditions in Indian Idol. The voice was suitably bad and appearance peculiar. Must have been his favorite song. He sang again and this time full with emotions. His words "Meri zindagi mein rahna tum....hai...ye...ss" was so painful, each one of us sympathized with him. Even Amir Khan and Karisma Kapoor would have regretted being associated with the song. Somebody from the over crowded corner rightly commented "Beta please have patience till the auditions starts".

The guy was embarrassed beyond words. He quietly got down at the  next station.

This made my day, I was left humming the song for rest of the day. Smiling and quietly laughing.

Moral issues anyone

Just realized this one is still saved as draft!!!

Fridays are always welcome, last day of the week for 6:00am alarm. Everyday I struggle to get out of the bed. With winters setting in, its going to be awful. Choosing between Yoga and fifteen minutes of sleep is always tough. Going by my flab, for me its Yoga by choice. The rush in metro security line (20 people in one queue) tell me there no chance of getting a seat. So I might as well relax and walk patiently. I see women hurrying around the security checks. Scowling at the men who interrupt their baggage screening. Women never seem to understand that there no board saying "ladies only" on screening machines. 

The platform has people standing in small groups at various spots. I could see people bending over to see the approaching metro. There must be some logic but I fail to understand the need to look. As the metro approaches people forget the queues and starting push. I have often noticed people standing on a side to let people in before stepping out.  

A group of college girls board the train. Its there examination day and they are already running late.  One of them in pink shirt has completed the practical file last night and need teachers signature. She know its going to be hard, so her friend volunteers. She will sign two practical sheet and rest can be done by the teacher. Every one looks unwilling. Not exactly the right thing to do. My college days were similar, last day file completion and then pleading the teacher for signatures. I don't know if she got her signatures for every one in group was scared of the thought. They got down at Indraprastha, still discussing the issue. They seem to be caught in conflict. I am still wondering if they are worried about ethical and unethical or is it a thing of past !!!

All about him...

Now this is about an over heard conversation, I can relate to it because I happen to have similar experience. I overheard two software engineers discuss their boss. Now they are software engineers because they don the prominent company identification cards and carry their laptops. So they must have been taken for an offsite trip by their manager at nice beach resort. One they did not get enough time to enjoy probably because of their HR sessions in place. They supposedly had to attain some sessions which went through the entire day and they were left with almost no time to enjoy beach sports. The indoor sports were either not exciting enough for the young brood or not possible due to some reasons.

The interesting point of the conversation was the team manager, who happens to be a prominent B-school graduate. He loves to flaunt his education and his love for all brands, especially when accompanied by girls at office. Poor guy must have got stuck with this particular group at the airport which schemed to make him pay for all their meals for the evening. Looks like the guy was petrified when he saw the bill amount and was also seen huffing about the exuberant prices. The mischievous girls in group made a point to make him feel like a loser for being worried about the price. Poor guy must have been stuck in a bad situation for these people were having a hearty laugh at his expense.