Mumbai Locals

Mumbai Locals -- race against time


Yes! it's Mumbai local trains, the life-line of this city. You could literally feel it and visibly see it when you are around there at peek hours. Of course, Mumbai would stop breathing without it. Here I am going to put one or two escapade I had with local trains. It's a love-and-hate story. Pointless to tell that if you really want to ever experience infinity please get in one of the locals at it's peek hours.

I live at the wrong (thankfully it's right end, south Mumbai) end of the city and hence most of the time I travel in the opposite direction to the mainland crowd. Once I went to IIT Mumbai (north of the city) to attend a lecture and was returning back in the evening. I got in one of the locals at Kanjurmarg and was peacefully sitting with both legs stretched out (a rare phenomena). After a long day I was tired and took a nap. I started dreaming. I saw people shouting, running all over, in fact many of them were flying over others. It was a scene from "star wars" where traffic is in 3- dimension. Oops...somebody just whistle-passed over my head. Suddenly I felt a push and woke up and what I see that it wasn't a dream. It's reality and a lot of people are confused and looking at me with questioning glances. I suddenly realised that I have reached VT station (the last stop where I had to get down). And it was the big crowd who was fighting to get in the train who were making this noise and were trying to run over each other. I got up and walked out. Almost immediately train started moving.

The second time I was to go to Nasik to one of my relatives place. I had reservation from VT and was to take the train at 4:30 pm. I started from my place about 3:30 and reached VT by 4. I thought I will have a coffee and then I will get in the train as I already had a reservation. Suddenly I hear an announcement saying that some trains which usually start form VT will be starting from Dadar for next few days. I immediately ran to the inquiry counter where there was already a big crowd howling. I saw the list of the trains which were cut to start from Dadar. It included my train also. What should I do? I had hardly 20 minutes time. I ran to local ticket counter where there was a big queue. I got in the queue and got the ticket to Dadar. I reached the local platform and got in the train. Very soon the train started and also I came to know that it was a fast local. I was quite happy that I will reach in time. Now the Dadar stop coes. I see a big crowd waiting outside on the platform. I was ready to jump out but as soon as the train stoped the crowd from outside started pushing in. Since there were hardly people to get out I had no support to push out and get out. Finally I couldn't get out. Now it was fast local it wouldn't stop before several stations. It struck to me that I can go to Kurla and catch the train from there. I could get out at Kurla station. The main line station is a bit far there and one has to take an autorickshaw. I reach the main line station and found out that the train doesn't stop there at all. Now I was in soup. I get back to local station and thought that I will chase up to some next stop, may be up to Thane. The next local which came for that direction was so crowded that I couldn't get in. I guess it was problem that I was carrying a bag also else normally I can manage things. What can I do? I took local back to Dadar and decided to check if the train is late only then I can get it. But it has gone in time. I called my relatives and told the story and apologised that I am not coming there. I got back to my house, a bit frustrated. Still I don't know to whom to blame for all this. What would have happened to those people who were not from Mumbai and were suppose to take the train?

Air-Deccan (beware of pick-pockets)

Air-Deccan -- beware of pick-pockets



In recent times the aviation industry has seen a flood of new air-lines. By God! no doubt they are very competitive and offer no-frill tickets. The consumer is having good time and what not....even an ordinary middle class man can fly, not just dream about it.

Recently I flew by Air-Deccan twice and had a loads of experiences. This is not to say that other competing airlines are better.

I had booked ticket from Kolkata to Mumbai by Air-Deccan and was flying on 12th March 2007 at 7:30 pm. I reached airport at 6:15 pm only and happily got security check done of my baggages and proceeded to the air-deccan counter. I produced my print-out ticket to the person on counter for check-in. After a minute of showing his finger-speed-on-keyboard bang came the reply," Sir, your name is not there in our database". I was stunned. I didn't know what to say. I had always heard of stories like they cancel flights without notice etc. but never heard of this kind of story. I meekly asked,"then what should I do?" He pointed me towards Air-Deccan office and asked me to go there. I went to the office. As soon as I enter in the office I see there are two people arguing with each other at full volume in bengali (no prizes for guessing the volume??). One of them was Air-Deccan executive and other a costumer. Since I understand Bengali soon I guessed what was going on. The costumer in question has similar case as mine. After 5 minutes when there argument got over the executive asked me what is my problem. There were 7-10 people, all costumers, who were all in similar situation and witnessing that heavy argument. The reason given by the executive was that recently they had upgrading of there computers and hence they suffered some data loss.

Anyway he consoled us and told that he is going to try to accommodate us in Jet-Airways. In no time another person appeared on scene. He has completely differnt problem. He was to go by 7:30pm flight to Chennai. But the flight left at 3:15pm only. Now what he should do. The executive told that they send an SMS to everyone about rescheduling of the flight and it's not there fault if he did not get the message.

Well after a little bit of nervous moments finally he could pull out our case. Jet-airways 8:25 flight has 36 vacant seats and they accommodated us.

This is really wearied thing. In the competition of low-cost they have started over-booking. That's what is my guess. It was no case of data loss or anything. It's really non-sense because when we book tickets we pay full money in advance. Hence we should be booked a seat immediately. After this incident I have decided never to fly by air-deccan.

Another time when I was flying by air-deccan before the above incident, that was my first time by air-deccan, I saw a big queue and people fighting with each other to get in first. Apparently Air-deccan provides free seating arrangement, i.e., you can sit anywhere you wish. There is no seat number allotted with boarding pass. This is utter ridiculous and nonsense as it doesn't save anything. They allot a number to each ticket anyway which could be seat number very well. That's when I thought soon there will be a notice inside aircraft saying "beware of pick-pockets".