Have you ever traveled in a public transport without proper tickets. I did it. I traveled without tickets in the local trains for the past 2 days, and i did not realize it till today morning when i had to travel to office by train instead of going with my dad in his two wheeler.
This is not the first time that i am traveling without tickets. Back in college days, me and my friends had traveled so a lot in trains without tickets. But now it is different, back then we were branded students and we had the college id cards which had more power than one can imagine, if properly used... But now i do not belong to any educational institution. Now i am a professional, a software professional, any black marks are sure to play spoil sport some time in future...
But why am i afraid!....... i wasn't caught. right! But still, i couldn't stop feeling guilty today morning. I went to the station renewed my train pass and then i traveled to office by train, for the 3rd time. I only travel back home from office by train...
But back in the days when i was in north, it was different. i have seen people travel without tickets as though it was their birth right. but will pay and get tickets when using a transport system like auto or manual rickshaws. though they would cost a lot than the buses and trains where they refuse to buy tickets.
I have even heard of incidents when a guy shot the Ticket Checker with his gun, coz he fined him for traveling without tickets. I've heard from some of my colleagues, when i was in agra, who was a bihari saying that they don't buy tickets for traveling in a public carrier, like trains and buses.
Even the parents of Lalu Prasad Yadav, the great railway minister who changed the railway industry which was about to be shut down, into a number one profit producer in less than a year, without making any changes to the system, traveled without tickets to Delhi from Patna( this is the capital of Bihar ) and shamelessly asked why the hell should i buy a ticket to travel in a public transport....
I would not complain against such a behavior of the Indian common man, for it had been in his nature to do such things, but i would blame the government or some other control which could have made this habit disappear, but didn't... How come everyone traveling in the metro buy a ticket. It is nearly impossible to travel ticketless in a metro. But i know how to. (that was the first thing that i found when i landed in delhi in April 2006...)
Well all said, i would not mind traveling ticketless in a bus service in either here or in Delhi. For if you want me to pay for your service, make sure you do the service in a proper way. why the hell should i pay u, when the height of the bus is not even higher than me. so when i stand and travel i have to bend down and have a pain in my neck and shoulders. even if the bus has empty seats i cannot sit, for there is no enough leg space for me to sit comfortably, leave comfortably, atleast i should be able to sit right!... And how do the authorities expect me to pay for a ticket with such a service. But still i pay and travel....
So what is the solution to the problem?... well, i don't have any idea. I don't have a damn idea what can be done, coz what ever suggestion i give you with respect to me will not hold good for a guy who is just 5 feet high. Ask that guy how it is to travel in a train he will start complaining like me for everything is high there... see the difference.. so someone ought to find a solution.
we the tall people may belong to a minority. and yes we also have the financial ability and also the skills to own and drive a motor bike or a car, and yes i do have one at home. yet i don't wanna use them to add one more vehicle to the ever increasing traffic population. why not use the public transportation, which will save the country a few rupees on the oil purchase cost, which in turn will become energy saved. and also lowering of pollution. I wish i could drive to office, but i won't. I wish, atleast i could go to office in a cycle, my parents won't allow. Now what can i do, other than rely on public transport. But should i buy a ticket next time?......
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