Date - 29th April 2013
Day - Monday
From - Jhansi
To - Yeswantpur
Karnataka Sampark kranti express was late by about 10 minutes. The tiles were being laid on Jhansi station platform number 3. The tile lair was spitting tobacco around the work site, putting cement glue on top of it, then the tiles and then the measure to check if they were getting aligned properly.
Few college students from Andhra, with chappals and unkempt hair, with laptops hanging from shoulder and some full pants were raised by few folds were chatting around the trolley that carries goods items.
Two gentlemen were confused if their sampark kranti was on this platform or was it another on other platform.
A full bodied gym going muscular educated class youth, aged around 25 was throwing plastic from the biscuit and namkeen packets near his foot and munching along with his uncle.
I kept sipping drops of precious water that my dear mother had packed for me.
The train came and people negotiated the tiles near the bogies under construction, trying not to slip on the sand and get under the train instead of in the train.
The AC 3 tier was way behind and I kept walking for a long time. Unfortunately, this time around too the seat was a upper berth near the door. The bottom was packed with luggage. I requested and they minced words before they made space for one bag. Some lady going to bhopal was lying on my upper berth. Her son was spreading his legs on lower berth.
Suddenly few more genuine seat holders came and the ladies with fake supremacy had to take their luggage and leave their captured seat from delhi. They were muttering "TTE has given to us, and these people are taking away our seat".
A software engineer bound to Hyderabad, came and asked to vacate the window seat because that belonged to him.
A fauji (army man) came along with his friend. Along enquiry it was revealed that his friend was on waiting list but they confidently planted their luggage underneath and complained about the earlier ladies capturing the seats and luggage space. They had their food. He offered me also and I said No, thank you.
I urged them to talk to TTE so that the waiting list guy would atleast have some place to sleep in night. The TTE was going up and down without pausing to check our tickets. Finally they realized and stopped the marching TTE on one of his trip, he instinctively gestured them to come out, near the door. He offered them another seat in another coach. It was a middle berth. His customer service so cool that he offered another seat at another place in case they did not like it. The following happened near the door
TTE- 500
fauji - 100
fauji - 200
fauji - I cannot give more than 300. TTE agreed and the ticket was confirmed.
The fauji was a young recruit who would be serving in the India defence. ANother fauji had server 17 years and was going for retirement. TTE did not even spare them.
The fauji asked me to take the bought seat but I said it was middle and I would prefer upper berth.
Bhopal came. The powerful lady and her family of four who had captured my seat on top left. Another software engineer bound to Hyderabad came and he said he would not mind taking my seat. Another gentleman came and said B1-62 is mine. My nervousness had peaked. Thankfully, the fauji intervened and the man retreated with the same confidence which demanded the seat before "TTE has given me the seat, why dont you talk to him." to "Okay, the TTE will give me another seat".
I intercepted the Jhansi to Bhopal TTE. A tall and bulky man with frenchie. He was quite confident "I have not given your seat to anyone". But you have also not checked that I had boarded train. The train started moving and he jumped out with his loot. He did not even collect the excess fare from all those who had boarded from Jhansi incurring losses of thousands of rupees to Indian government. But who cares about the government who has given the job and lifestyle when the choice comes to warm their own pockets.
I started moving towards the new TTE who would be in charge from Bhopal to Nagpur. Another location of ruckus where local goondas has slapped another genuine seat holder demanding the seat "TTE has given the seat to us." Ah! the godly TTE.
The fauji asked us to come back. Later in a minute or so he went along and met the TTE.
Fauji - B1-62 is boarded from Jhansi.
TTE - it is not marked in my chart.
Fauji - The Jhansi TTE did not come to check.
TTE- Its your responsibility to let TTE know that you have boarded.
Fauji - he was sick and came in and slept off so he could not come ( a blatant lie that saved the berth for me)
TTE - okay
Later when the TTE came to check for berths, I showed him my ticket.
TTE - Did you board from Bhopal
I - No
TTE - Then let me complete checking for people from my mohalla Bhopal and then I will check yours
I - The Jhansi TTE did not collect excess fare (I was feeling guilty of not paying the excess fare)
TTE - The other TTE should have collected it, I have to worry about my mohalla.
The guy had so many seats that another family who were distributed all over the place got seating next to each other in another mohalla.
The smart software engineer from Jhansi quipped, they have added 2 more AC coach and that is why the TTE were minting gold even in peak season like this when the tickets were booked almost 4 months back. Even then I had waiting that was confirmed later.
We discussed about nexus of booking clerk-on duty TTE-agents and other officials. Everybody else was eating money in India except us. Why?
Day - Monday
From - Jhansi
To - Yeswantpur
Karnataka Sampark kranti express was late by about 10 minutes. The tiles were being laid on Jhansi station platform number 3. The tile lair was spitting tobacco around the work site, putting cement glue on top of it, then the tiles and then the measure to check if they were getting aligned properly.
Few college students from Andhra, with chappals and unkempt hair, with laptops hanging from shoulder and some full pants were raised by few folds were chatting around the trolley that carries goods items.
Two gentlemen were confused if their sampark kranti was on this platform or was it another on other platform.
A full bodied gym going muscular educated class youth, aged around 25 was throwing plastic from the biscuit and namkeen packets near his foot and munching along with his uncle.
I kept sipping drops of precious water that my dear mother had packed for me.
The train came and people negotiated the tiles near the bogies under construction, trying not to slip on the sand and get under the train instead of in the train.
The AC 3 tier was way behind and I kept walking for a long time. Unfortunately, this time around too the seat was a upper berth near the door. The bottom was packed with luggage. I requested and they minced words before they made space for one bag. Some lady going to bhopal was lying on my upper berth. Her son was spreading his legs on lower berth.
Suddenly few more genuine seat holders came and the ladies with fake supremacy had to take their luggage and leave their captured seat from delhi. They were muttering "TTE has given to us, and these people are taking away our seat".
A software engineer bound to Hyderabad, came and asked to vacate the window seat because that belonged to him.
A fauji (army man) came along with his friend. Along enquiry it was revealed that his friend was on waiting list but they confidently planted their luggage underneath and complained about the earlier ladies capturing the seats and luggage space. They had their food. He offered me also and I said No, thank you.
I urged them to talk to TTE so that the waiting list guy would atleast have some place to sleep in night. The TTE was going up and down without pausing to check our tickets. Finally they realized and stopped the marching TTE on one of his trip, he instinctively gestured them to come out, near the door. He offered them another seat in another coach. It was a middle berth. His customer service so cool that he offered another seat at another place in case they did not like it. The following happened near the door
TTE- 500
fauji - 100
fauji - 200
fauji - I cannot give more than 300. TTE agreed and the ticket was confirmed.
The fauji was a young recruit who would be serving in the India defence. ANother fauji had server 17 years and was going for retirement. TTE did not even spare them.
The fauji asked me to take the bought seat but I said it was middle and I would prefer upper berth.
Bhopal came. The powerful lady and her family of four who had captured my seat on top left. Another software engineer bound to Hyderabad came and he said he would not mind taking my seat. Another gentleman came and said B1-62 is mine. My nervousness had peaked. Thankfully, the fauji intervened and the man retreated with the same confidence which demanded the seat before "TTE has given me the seat, why dont you talk to him." to "Okay, the TTE will give me another seat".
I intercepted the Jhansi to Bhopal TTE. A tall and bulky man with frenchie. He was quite confident "I have not given your seat to anyone". But you have also not checked that I had boarded train. The train started moving and he jumped out with his loot. He did not even collect the excess fare from all those who had boarded from Jhansi incurring losses of thousands of rupees to Indian government. But who cares about the government who has given the job and lifestyle when the choice comes to warm their own pockets.
I started moving towards the new TTE who would be in charge from Bhopal to Nagpur. Another location of ruckus where local goondas has slapped another genuine seat holder demanding the seat "TTE has given the seat to us." Ah! the godly TTE.
The fauji asked us to come back. Later in a minute or so he went along and met the TTE.
Fauji - B1-62 is boarded from Jhansi.
TTE - it is not marked in my chart.
Fauji - The Jhansi TTE did not come to check.
TTE- Its your responsibility to let TTE know that you have boarded.
Fauji - he was sick and came in and slept off so he could not come ( a blatant lie that saved the berth for me)
TTE - okay
Later when the TTE came to check for berths, I showed him my ticket.
TTE - Did you board from Bhopal
I - No
TTE - Then let me complete checking for people from my mohalla Bhopal and then I will check yours
I - The Jhansi TTE did not collect excess fare (I was feeling guilty of not paying the excess fare)
TTE - The other TTE should have collected it, I have to worry about my mohalla.
The guy had so many seats that another family who were distributed all over the place got seating next to each other in another mohalla.
The smart software engineer from Jhansi quipped, they have added 2 more AC coach and that is why the TTE were minting gold even in peak season like this when the tickets were booked almost 4 months back. Even then I had waiting that was confirmed later.
We discussed about nexus of booking clerk-on duty TTE-agents and other officials. Everybody else was eating money in India except us. Why?
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