Chug-Chug Chalte!!

"I don't want you to panic but just try to get into it as quick as you can. You have hardly 10 seconds to do it.." - My aunt who gave me a tip ( a very useful one at that) on boarding a Mumbai local train.

We cross three railway lines ( something I am perpetually scared of! ) and then take a position on the platform that is accurately calculated so that a compartment's door would conveniently halt right in front of us when the large creature comes speeding in. The long and fast creature which is made of steel, covered with dirt and grime, brimming with passengers exceeding the designated capacity, finally comes to a stop in front of us, not more than a minute late than the scheduled time of arrival, which is actually very good, to my Indian senses. We rush in and find comfortable rungs to hold onto if we don't get the uncomfortable seats to sit on( uncomfy coz a minimum of 4 sit on a seat which would be just fine for three medium sized people).

What an interesting pastime it is, to just people-watch in the train. You really get to know the meaning of "variety" there. The youth in their 20s would be busily fidgeting with their cellphones. The middle aged men read newspapers or magazines. Of the middle-aged women, some read, some comb their hair, some even carry over part of their domestic chores ( like cutting up vegetables ) to the train! The old men would be discussing politics. There are also the occasional visits of the needy who sing and try to earn whatever meagre amount that is possible.
Here, I noticed a clear portrayal of the "survival of the fittest" theory. Be it in the rushing forward to grab the quarter of the seat that is empty, or in the rush to exit the train, escaping the upstream flow of commuters, within the ten seconds' time, only the smart ones win. The ones who are too kind and polite will have to stand in the milling crowd and get down probably a couple of stops later.

In my city in Tamilnadu, where I commute by bus to and from college, there are some unwritten protocols to be followed, especially by youth of my age. Whenever an elderly person and you wait to occupy the single seat which is to be vacated, the elder gets the privilege. We, in general, do not ask two strangers who are comfortably seated on a two-seater to budge so that we can partly sit.
Of course, if I were subjected to the harrowing experience of a daily train-travel in a city like this, I would know no protocol whatsoever.
Still, it was amusing to see these people of whose kind I've not so far seen in my city's buses.
Also there is this sensation, immediately after exiting the railway station, of being completely dirty because of the sweat produced by my own glands and also because of the presence of too many other homo sapiens with absolutely perfect-functioning sweat glands in the surrounding.

I must give a great big KUDOS to the Mumbaikars who brave this experience twice daily!!
They do have the never-say-die attitude! CHEERS to all these guys n gals n uncles n aunts!!