A ride in the Delhi Metro Transport is a joy! Any body riding the Metro would tell you that. I had my chance today again, after a long time. I had to visit the Central Secretariat ! The normal mode by car,I found very cumbersome as parking is becoming a problem day by day in the central parts of Delhi. And hence the ride.
Walking up to the bus stop is only ten minutes which by Delhi and Noida standards is too little. If we have the heart as many of my friends I still have the option to take a cycle rickshaw, which is driven manually by a poor fellow ! But a walk is preferable if one does not mind the dust and would want to be one with nature!
I made it in ten minutes to wait for the local bus and after a wait of half an hour, I got the Yellow UP Government bus which is really comfortable if one can get a seat which I did. I got a window seat at that! In the hurry worry, I took the seat without looking around and after a while I found the women coming in looking above my head. I also looked up just to see "Mahilaayem' written over my head!
I offered my seat to the lady who was looking at the sign and she said, "You don't want to get down?".I said: "No., but you can sit as I don't mind standing". She was a young woman and with great kindness she said "No, I shall sit on the wooden box in front" and occupied the box in front of me which was actually a cover to the batteries of the bus. But it was a good and clean wooden box.
The driver a middle aged farmer looking stocky gentleman tried to hurry the bus through the chock a block 'Bhangel" road in which all kinds and modes of transport and people vied with one another for an inch of space and the bus made progress at say 5 kilometres per hour. We did a journey of 8 kilometres in 40 minutes where I got to the Botanic Garden Station of the Delhi Metro.
I walked off the bus as the bus was slowly moving as there was no time to lose and started walking through the parking lot to reach the escalator and into the beautiful station.
I joined line after line for token, check up, luggage check etc. and was at the platform. The train flowed in and I was inside in no time. The air conditioning really cooled any one who went in. The then lady started saying: Next Station is ......such and such..the doors will open on the left..be careful while getting down and Mind the Gap"
The Gap thing started me thinking. Yes, there is a gap among all the people all the time in India. There is no question about it. But the cute train is also saying to mind the gap. Yes, there is a gap between the train and the plat form. That is what the lady is informing all, so very nicely.
Many people read, many heard music or programmes on pocket radios or iphones, some watched movies on tablets etc. and it was altogether a good drive and it was time for me to get down after an hour which went in a jiffy. Now, allow me, let me mind the gap..!
Walking up to the bus stop is only ten minutes which by Delhi and Noida standards is too little. If we have the heart as many of my friends I still have the option to take a cycle rickshaw, which is driven manually by a poor fellow ! But a walk is preferable if one does not mind the dust and would want to be one with nature!
I made it in ten minutes to wait for the local bus and after a wait of half an hour, I got the Yellow UP Government bus which is really comfortable if one can get a seat which I did. I got a window seat at that! In the hurry worry, I took the seat without looking around and after a while I found the women coming in looking above my head. I also looked up just to see "Mahilaayem' written over my head!
I offered my seat to the lady who was looking at the sign and she said, "You don't want to get down?".I said: "No., but you can sit as I don't mind standing". She was a young woman and with great kindness she said "No, I shall sit on the wooden box in front" and occupied the box in front of me which was actually a cover to the batteries of the bus. But it was a good and clean wooden box.
The driver a middle aged farmer looking stocky gentleman tried to hurry the bus through the chock a block 'Bhangel" road in which all kinds and modes of transport and people vied with one another for an inch of space and the bus made progress at say 5 kilometres per hour. We did a journey of 8 kilometres in 40 minutes where I got to the Botanic Garden Station of the Delhi Metro.
I walked off the bus as the bus was slowly moving as there was no time to lose and started walking through the parking lot to reach the escalator and into the beautiful station.
I joined line after line for token, check up, luggage check etc. and was at the platform. The train flowed in and I was inside in no time. The air conditioning really cooled any one who went in. The then lady started saying: Next Station is ......such and such..the doors will open on the left..be careful while getting down and Mind the Gap"
The Gap thing started me thinking. Yes, there is a gap among all the people all the time in India. There is no question about it. But the cute train is also saying to mind the gap. Yes, there is a gap between the train and the plat form. That is what the lady is informing all, so very nicely.
Many people read, many heard music or programmes on pocket radios or iphones, some watched movies on tablets etc. and it was altogether a good drive and it was time for me to get down after an hour which went in a jiffy. Now, allow me, let me mind the gap..!
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