The Journey In The Red Bus
The red bus in the title refers to the BEST buses which operates along the nerves of the dream city - Mumbai. It is second major mode of transport for people residing in Mumbai. First on the list is of course, the life line ; Local Trains.
Every time you step into the red bus, you get a new experience. From stepping-in the bus from the gap at the back side, to getting down from the gap in the front. I use the word gap because there are no doors in the bus except for the driver door.
BEST is licensed to seat 49 and 20 standees (Spelling of licensed is wrong in the notice hung in the buses). But, there are definitely more standees in a bus in peak hours at hot places. Like, Kurla, Bandra, Churchgate etc. Fares of BEST buses is directly proportional to the number of commuters. As the commuters increases day by day, fares also increases.
The red bus with rivets all around, black handles, green seats, aluminum floorings and chocolaty conductor seems to experience more drama than the stage of some auditorium. From chanting women to wailing infants. From rueful men to notorious students. From conductor shouting "pudhil chala" to "ticket ticket". From ting ting bell above the drivers head to PO PO honks!
The chocolate man aka conductor of the bus with a big black bag full of money and a Trimax device used to print tickets is never satisfied with the change. Even if you give him the exact change, he would ask for change. Maybe he blabbers that in sleep too! I wonder what would they do with all those chillers they collect. There are over 35,000 buses running across the city. And all of them have conductors collecting chillers! Maybe the BEST people get their salaries in chillers!
Men with navy blue trousers and sky blue shirt with a cap matching their trousers are such pain in the a**. First they never talk to you properly. They are never in a mood to talk I guess. If you get down at some unlucky place, they hunt you like a lion hunts down a deer and ask for your ticket in a manner that the ticket you purchased was a charity by someone. They should definitely take some courses on how to communicate!
Once in a while, bus trip is okay. People traveling daily scowl in frustration. Ordeals daily isn't a small stuff to deal with. God forbid.
Every time you step into the red bus, you get a new experience. From stepping-in the bus from the gap at the back side, to getting down from the gap in the front. I use the word gap because there are no doors in the bus except for the driver door.
BEST is licensed to seat 49 and 20 standees (Spelling of licensed is wrong in the notice hung in the buses). But, there are definitely more standees in a bus in peak hours at hot places. Like, Kurla, Bandra, Churchgate etc. Fares of BEST buses is directly proportional to the number of commuters. As the commuters increases day by day, fares also increases.
The red bus with rivets all around, black handles, green seats, aluminum floorings and chocolaty conductor seems to experience more drama than the stage of some auditorium. From chanting women to wailing infants. From rueful men to notorious students. From conductor shouting "pudhil chala" to "ticket ticket". From ting ting bell above the drivers head to PO PO honks!
The chocolate man aka conductor of the bus with a big black bag full of money and a Trimax device used to print tickets is never satisfied with the change. Even if you give him the exact change, he would ask for change. Maybe he blabbers that in sleep too! I wonder what would they do with all those chillers they collect. There are over 35,000 buses running across the city. And all of them have conductors collecting chillers! Maybe the BEST people get their salaries in chillers!
Men with navy blue trousers and sky blue shirt with a cap matching their trousers are such pain in the a**. First they never talk to you properly. They are never in a mood to talk I guess. If you get down at some unlucky place, they hunt you like a lion hunts down a deer and ask for your ticket in a manner that the ticket you purchased was a charity by someone. They should definitely take some courses on how to communicate!
Once in a while, bus trip is okay. People traveling daily scowl in frustration. Ordeals daily isn't a small stuff to deal with. God forbid.
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