It came in 2003 and it came with a bang. It took the city by the storm by its promises to give a slight relief from the highly overcharging and pricey autowallahs and the ever-congested buses. Yes…. the sleek, speedy coach called the ‘metro train’ became the brand new buzz in town. It certainly was a wonderful whiff of fresh air.
When it first came, everything was in top condition. All counters were fully functional, the checking was strict and regular and no problem of overcrowding either. In fact, the impact of the metro was such that all ‘metro-friendly’ areas became the new hang-out zones for people. Connaught Place would top the list for its sheer convenience of commuting. Rajouri Garden suddenly opened a plethora of swanky malls right next to the metro station. India Gate became more accessible. Life became hunky-dory for the delhites.
Four years have passed. It is quite aptly said that new things wear away with time. Same holds true for the great Delhi Metro. The charm has worn off. Here’s how.
Ticket Counters: There are at least three of these at every station. Only one functions. Reason? The rest are on leave.
Checking: They look at you and they let you pass. They touch your bag and they let you pass. I could be carrying a ton of RDX for all they care. And that’s the point. THEY DON’T CARE.
No toilets available
The train: And this is the best of the worst. I’ll recount a forgettable experience.
It was a Monday evening. The blueline buses were off the roads. I waited for about half-an-hour for my turn. I bought the token and went to the platform. The sight was terrible. The place was swarming with people. Seemes as if the whole city wanted to board that particular metro towards Dwarka at the same time.
The train arrived. Those sitting, stood up and those already standing, stood straighter. After all they were prepapring themselves for the ‘Great Battle of Space.’
The train stopped. There they were, standing on the other side, the 2-second enemy. A glass door separated us. With shields held tightly (read bags, books, files and phones), the two sides took a deep breath.
The glass doors opened. Inside crashed out and the outside crashed in. Like a humungous wave, they swept off each other and knocked them out. I was getting late. Couldn’t afford to go on the next. Somehow I pushed my way through. As soon as I entered I was engulfed in the suffocation and the stench mingled with sweat of all those around me. Suddenly, I discovered my feet were’nt on the ground. I was sandwiched between a fat lady and an equally fat man to the extent that I was lifted in the air! The stench kept me shut. And to add to my woes, the train stopped four times due to overloading!
My station arrived and I gave a muffled yelp. I came flying out the train, tripped and fell. I thanked and thanked the divine force for helping me get out of the hell.
So the metro has indeed made our living convenient, but if I have to go through this experience again….I swear I’ll never enter it even if somebody pays me 10 grand for it. And a perennially broke girl saying this….its something!!!
Sat Aug 04, 2007 12:35 am
