Life in a.... Metro

(This post was made on the 17th evening, but could be uploaded only now)


My third post begins with apologies to the maker of the movie of the same name.
I plead guilty. I flinched his title. But the best title was already taken.
Yes, this post, too, deals with life in a Metro... but a different kind of Metro... not the city, but the mode of conveyance. And interestingly, I'm writing this post on board an Indigo flight to Mumbai from Calcutta. (It's bad, you have to buy the food!).
One should start at the beginning: Calcutta — that is where the Metro rail started.
I've been living in that city for about three years now and I am a regular commuter.
The Metro is nothing short of a living being... it has its own quirks and hustle and bustle.
My profession requires me to be a good observer — and I have a few observations. You might find them interesting.
1) The Metro is way too loud. Try listening to classical music on an iPod at full blast and you'll understand what I'm talking about
The doors are always more crowded than the rest of the compartment — either people revel in making life difficult for others or they don't have an iota of civic sense
A ride on the Metro is a pleasure trip — no questions asked. Count the number of such people on any given Sunday. I'm sure you'll agree
Park Street station is on the right — I've witnessed numerous occasions when passengers jump out of their reverie at the mention of that hallowed address and promptly troop to the right, only to realise their mistake and create a mini-melee within the rake
Escalators or slapstick comedy? Ever seen the throng waiting for the “ride” of their lives? Not only do they hamper hurried passengers, they provide a lot of entertainment with their “non-intentional” antics
Smart/unsmart entry/exit: Commuters with paper tickets make it a point to fumble at smart entry/exit points. It becomes even more irritating the station has single smart points as opposed to three or more paper points
Oglers/nudgers/lechs: Does one need say more? Except that such people exist from both sexes.
I guess that pretty much takes care of enough banter for a day. And I really need to put away my notebook as we are about to land in Mumbai!!!