"Train" of Thought
Looking back, it was the long, agonizing wait for the metro rail to make a start. There were a zillion rumors doing the rounds about the prospective date and time for the mammoth project to become operational. Falling behind an year or so, the metro is now functional in one phase within the city; there is a laborious amount of work and man-hours pending for the other phases to get up and functional—the present phase caters to only a certain strata of the city. Until then, for those who feel liberated and mean to depend solely on the metro, think and plan well. Yes, the metro is in; and yes, it's fast; and yes, it is sophisticated and upmarket. I had a whiff of it too. When I couldn't contain my excitement, I took the ride from Byapanahalli and MG Road. If I had to opine on the metro itself, I give it a thumbs up. However, if I had to comment about the journey, I'm not so sure.
The city gets a makeover and it's great! But did the mentality of our population get a makeover? No! The thought process remains the same, especially those who are akin to commuting by the public transport on a daily basis. Their body and mind are tuned to rush aboard, hold a place for someone, push their way through a crowded bus, and of the sorts. In other words, they take on a selfish persona. And it's all about our survival instincts taking over—push or get pushed.
Last week, I got a taste of what could be an everyday mayhem. Entering the metro station at Indiranagar, I was in awe—every corner was pleasing to the eye—spic and span, and well-organized. At the counters, we pay an economical sum, and in return we are handed a token that is valid for about an hour or so. The token needs to be placed on a magnetic reading device, and only then do the entry gates leading to the platform open. There are three coaches on each ride—air-conditioned with automatic doors. I gather, this is an Indo-Japanese collaboration.
All's good till the crowd begins to line up at the platform, waiting and watching. The moment the metro wheels in, it's sheer chaos! You have people pushing their way through, running helter skelter on the platform like zombies. They run up to one coach, and then they decide to hop on to the next! And even if somebody gets hurt in the encounter, they couldn't care less. And if you thought this was it, get this—as you wait to enter the coach, you just get sucked in, or rather pushed in. It's the same when you alight —you just get barfed. Imagine having to put up with such unruly behavior every day! Getting to office and back could never get this adventurous, eh?
Metro rail in Bangalore is brimming like a tourist escapade and beats the purpose it's intended for. Moreover, the feeder buses would be helpful if commuters could get a point-to-point pick-up and drop to their nearest destination. Yes, we crib day in-day out—earlier, it was about the delay, now it's about the bare essentials. Nothing is good enough.
Well, what can I say—it's the devil or the deep blue sea! It's time versus convenience; each to his/her own.
The city gets a makeover and it's great! But did the mentality of our population get a makeover? No! The thought process remains the same, especially those who are akin to commuting by the public transport on a daily basis. Their body and mind are tuned to rush aboard, hold a place for someone, push their way through a crowded bus, and of the sorts. In other words, they take on a selfish persona. And it's all about our survival instincts taking over—push or get pushed.
Last week, I got a taste of what could be an everyday mayhem. Entering the metro station at Indiranagar, I was in awe—every corner was pleasing to the eye—spic and span, and well-organized. At the counters, we pay an economical sum, and in return we are handed a token that is valid for about an hour or so. The token needs to be placed on a magnetic reading device, and only then do the entry gates leading to the platform open. There are three coaches on each ride—air-conditioned with automatic doors. I gather, this is an Indo-Japanese collaboration.
All's good till the crowd begins to line up at the platform, waiting and watching. The moment the metro wheels in, it's sheer chaos! You have people pushing their way through, running helter skelter on the platform like zombies. They run up to one coach, and then they decide to hop on to the next! And even if somebody gets hurt in the encounter, they couldn't care less. And if you thought this was it, get this—as you wait to enter the coach, you just get sucked in, or rather pushed in. It's the same when you alight —you just get barfed. Imagine having to put up with such unruly behavior every day! Getting to office and back could never get this adventurous, eh?
Metro rail in Bangalore is brimming like a tourist escapade and beats the purpose it's intended for. Moreover, the feeder buses would be helpful if commuters could get a point-to-point pick-up and drop to their nearest destination. Yes, we crib day in-day out—earlier, it was about the delay, now it's about the bare essentials. Nothing is good enough.
Well, what can I say—it's the devil or the deep blue sea! It's time versus convenience; each to his/her own.
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