12 years ago when i was living in this city, using the trains for travelling was the most obvious choice and was done regularly. Although the distances that I traveled everyday then, are not even half of what I travel now. I would be careful to not get into a virar fast train during peak hours especially, unless I had to travel that side for an occasional visit. Anyone who has spent more than a week in Mumbai and has been on a local railway station on the western line would know what I am talking about.
Cut to 12 years later, my abode now is in Mira Road, 2nd station from Borivali towards Virar. Even though Mira Road does not have any population residing in the West, (since it is covered by mangroves and salt pans, which till now have been protected) the rush at the station is a totally different story. Since I am a lawyer and I practice law and the High Court in this city is in Fort, I travel to Churchgate every day, which brings me to the means of transport that I use...well ofcourse, the local train, a virar train, the same one that i avoided almost everytime i came across one 12 years ago.
There are 2 kinds of trains, slow and fast. A slow train will stop at every station that comes its way from the starting point to the destination and a fast train has very few pre decided stops. The speed of the train is reflected in the attitude of the passengers. Most women who travel in a slow train regularly are far more relaxed, the general atmosphere in the compartment is chilled out and easy. While in the fast train there is a complete sense of urgency, if you dont move that one inch now, someone else will occupy that precious space and you will most likely stand on one leg for the rest of the journey.
Ok, I am completing this post after starting it about a year ago...! So then it has been more than a year now that I take these trains and has anything changed? Well I can tell you, the feeling in my stomach and the fluttering of the heart is still the same, the moment I see a train coming on the platform that i am suppose to board from. First come the questions.. will i be able to get in to it?? then come the chants... just get into it just get into it! And when the train actually slows down all hell breaks loose! the pushing, the shoving, the shouting and finally the last split second decision of leave it or hang on. I generally leave it, did hang on sometimes and completely hated the near death experience.
But now I have become a little better at boarding a train, more so because I can schedule my life around a 07.47 or an 08.09, or a 08.57 depending on what my day looks like. The best of course is the 10.13..... yes i do take this train sometimes, it is a ladies special fast local. I just cannot get over the smiling faces, soothing voices and courteous behaviour of the women in this train. There is no sense of panic, no mad rush, everyone is ok about reaching their destinations by 11.15. wish all trains were like this.
The journey back home is not so bad, since I board at the starting point, i almost always have a comfortable place to sit (as opposed to the 'fourth seat' which deserves a post of its own!). even then one does tend to schedule life around the 6.33s or the 7.40s etc...
Cut to 12 years later, my abode now is in Mira Road, 2nd station from Borivali towards Virar. Even though Mira Road does not have any population residing in the West, (since it is covered by mangroves and salt pans, which till now have been protected) the rush at the station is a totally different story. Since I am a lawyer and I practice law and the High Court in this city is in Fort, I travel to Churchgate every day, which brings me to the means of transport that I use...well ofcourse, the local train, a virar train, the same one that i avoided almost everytime i came across one 12 years ago.
There are 2 kinds of trains, slow and fast. A slow train will stop at every station that comes its way from the starting point to the destination and a fast train has very few pre decided stops. The speed of the train is reflected in the attitude of the passengers. Most women who travel in a slow train regularly are far more relaxed, the general atmosphere in the compartment is chilled out and easy. While in the fast train there is a complete sense of urgency, if you dont move that one inch now, someone else will occupy that precious space and you will most likely stand on one leg for the rest of the journey.
Ok, I am completing this post after starting it about a year ago...! So then it has been more than a year now that I take these trains and has anything changed? Well I can tell you, the feeling in my stomach and the fluttering of the heart is still the same, the moment I see a train coming on the platform that i am suppose to board from. First come the questions.. will i be able to get in to it?? then come the chants... just get into it just get into it! And when the train actually slows down all hell breaks loose! the pushing, the shoving, the shouting and finally the last split second decision of leave it or hang on. I generally leave it, did hang on sometimes and completely hated the near death experience.
But now I have become a little better at boarding a train, more so because I can schedule my life around a 07.47 or an 08.09, or a 08.57 depending on what my day looks like. The best of course is the 10.13..... yes i do take this train sometimes, it is a ladies special fast local. I just cannot get over the smiling faces, soothing voices and courteous behaviour of the women in this train. There is no sense of panic, no mad rush, everyone is ok about reaching their destinations by 11.15. wish all trains were like this.
The journey back home is not so bad, since I board at the starting point, i almost always have a comfortable place to sit (as opposed to the 'fourth seat' which deserves a post of its own!). even then one does tend to schedule life around the 6.33s or the 7.40s etc...
