Today am going to work on Delhi Metro. I don’t even remember when was the last I rode with Delhi Metro. Have heard horror stories. Here’s a live blog of thoughts.
Left home. Have to take a rick to reach Metro station.
Reached metro station. @kv told me to walk up the two flights. Walked up the stairs. Thanks heavens for my netbook. I can’t even imagine lugging a heavy laptop up the stairs! Surprised to see neat queues before the security check.
Train is not really crowded. This being the terminal stop. There are places to sit. Tried sitting. Really uncomfortable seats. I’d rather stand.
So far we are on the elevated corridor. With the advantage of height, I can see the city, the life, the way I’ve never even thought. I love standing on roofs and looking down. Its like seeing the big picture and getting hold of secrets.
Third station. Crowds building up. All those stories about rude people and shoving et al, they are slowly becoming evident.
Hate the announcements. Sandeet na bajaye, farsh par na baithe etc. 1984 anyone?
Whoa! An aunty is wearing yellow nailpolish on toes with golden chappal. A green suit. She’s apparently going to work. I mean yellow. And aunty. That’s the difference between Delhi and Mumbai women. Delhi, they think bling is cool and put everything that is shimmer and a lot of it. Delhi women need a crash course, no a full time, long term course, on the art and science of decking up.
And ladies and gentlemen, here comes the first shove. One uncle just stepped on my feet, stomped the way you crush a cigarette butt and dint even say sorry. Glad that he’s not a fake. He meant harm and he is not apologetic about it.
The aunty in yellow nail polish just got down. Good luck to her. And to her colleagues.
Just wondering, like the Mumbai locals, why can’t the Delhi metro have first class coaches? Am not for discrimination but people who want little more privacy and can pay for the privilege, yes privacy is a privilege in India, why shouldn’t they have an option?
Crossing Yamuna. Really wish that yamuna was clean and we could have had a few picnic spots around the banks. Wouldve made awesome evenings!
And my first stop is here. To reach work, am supposed to change the train twice.
Had a quick break to catch on some breakfast at McD. EggMcMuffin. Ymmm.
And magically, the way it happens in The Truman Show, moment I step out of McD, I see hoards of people, all going in the direction I am going. There must be a million people here, give or take a few hundred. Where the fuck are all these people going?
And the new coach has yellow lights. And I am on the yellow line. And that aunty with yellow nailpolish.
Whoa, this dude in orange shirt just came in between me and the wall and stood with his ass pointing at me. And by the way I was standing next to wall. I dint know that air could pass between me and the wall where this guy wedged himself. And he’s wearing chameli ka tel. I mean some tel that is pungent like sulfer is and is filling my nose with it. Someone get him a deo please.
And for the records, Mr. Sreedharan, yellow ambient lights are depressing.
Love the gush of wind in my hair. I am right under the AC vent. Loving it. Everythings not bad about Metro afterall!
And just when I had thought I have placed myself at a comfortable distance from the orange dude, another gentleman encroaches on my space. Not that own the space but the concept of personal space is being violated!
Finally got some space where I can rest my back.
Like Yogi (Berra) said, you can observe a lot by watching, any student of people watching needs to ride on the Delhi Metro for sure. Even Mumbai locals for that matter.
For the record, we’ve been standing on this station for close to five minutes and they aren’t opening doors. Junta around me is getting jittery. And yellow lights aren’t helping.
Ok, the door opened with beeps, the way timebomb beeps and surprisingly about half the coach got down. And bigger surprise, twice as many people boarded the train. All within 30 seconds! I dint know that each coach could accommodate these many people. And more than that, the engine could lug a train with so many people. These engines should be used to launch aircrafts etc.
Damn the jouney is too long and too boring. Am almost losing interest. The live blog could continue till the world war three. My car’s the best. I miss 🙁
For some reason, people don’t smile here. Everyone has a glum face as if they are being sent to the gallows against their wish! Guys, its 9 in the morning. Can we have some sunshine please? When God was creating humans, he should have put some more funny bones in us. We have 206 and we could certainly adjust some more.
Back just starting hurting. The right knee is almost ready to buckle any moment. Am standing on one leg. Plan is to get down at any station once I cross the border and then call office to send a cab. I really need more money in life. I need material comforts. Can’t do the metro routine. Need to have another car. Wondering if my boss reads this blog? Don’t think so. He aint got no time for his emails, leave alone blogs. And that too mine.
The station I am supposed to go is still ten odd stops away. At this rate, my thumbs would get a heart attack. Been using them frantically for last hour an twenty mins! Not ten. Make that twelve.
Love the wind from the AC shaft. Its just right. Not too cold. Not too fast. Not too wild. The way it should be.
And, for the record, I have lost interest. The station would not come in this life time. My bodys aching like its been put in a grinder. Everyone has a long face on them. They’ve shut down the AC. Enough.
I can’t even tolerate music no more. I have no clue where I am and when I’d reach. It’d be better is someone put a mask on my face and took me in white van with no windows etc. At least there’d excitement that am getting napped. I’d have a shot, though distant, at my 15 seconds of fame!
Finally! I get down from the metro. The next battle I need to fight is to find a way to reach work. Am told you can take an auto but am not really looking forward to haggling with them on the fare.
One things for sure. Am not coming to work on the metro ever again. The commute sucks. I’d rather be stuck in a traffic jam for four hours.
Signing out.