A Journey in a Crowded Bus: Tips for Staying Calm and Comfortable
[Notes: Bus jampacked-many standing on the foot-board-passengers sweating in November-passengers jostling-pick-pocket-sudden applying of brakes-passengers thrown off their balance-driver cursed.]
The other day I had a bitter experience of a journey in a crowded bus. I wanted to go to Howrah by a bus. I stood at the Shyambazar bus stand. After half an hour a bus came. It was jam-packed. Many passengers stood on the foot-board. Not a few hung in the air catching the windows or the iron-rod at the gate. I somehow got into the bus and shouldered my way forward. The manner I forced my way caused great inconvenience to many passengers. And they swore at me. I however digested their abusive languages.
It was the month of November. Still the passengers were sweating. To make room they were ceaselessly jostling. They were also critici-sing the Government for its failure to tackle the transport problems. I kept mum. I was struggling hard to keep on standing. The bus was just past the junction of College Street and Mahatma Gandhi Road. Suddenly some one cried "pick-pocket! pick-pocket!" Then there was a fresh round of jostling, shoving and shouting. Somebody shouted, "My feet have been badly trodden!" but none cared to enquire.
Hardly had the bus crossed the Howrah Bridge when the driver braked suddenly. The passengers were thrown off their balance. One bumped against another. The passengers cursed the driver. The driver, however, did not mind anything. Rather he seemed to take the abusive words showered on him stoically. At long last the bus reached the Howrah station. I got down from the bus; but alas! my purse was gone.
