In the midst of a verbal spat, a passenger yells: “Aap seat reserve nahin kar sakte ho!” This statement as part of a recent viral video, showing a heated argument, was shot inside a Delhi Metro coach, and has brought back the spotlight on ‘life in a Metro’ quite literally! While this fight among co-passengers was due to one of them reserving a metro seat with a bag, it’s not really uncommon to spot such heated debates and discussions among other irritating habits of metro travellers.
For those who travel in the Delhi Metro, it’s a task to find a seat after getting entry, and the events that thus transpire are worthy of asking now frequent travellers, about how they are coping with the rush in the endemic era!
“Without a doubt, the blue line in particular makes it seem as though Covid-19 never ever existed! The fight for a seat is now extremely genuine because everything has been open, especially offices and educational institutions that comprise the maximum number of travellers. Ab har koi toh cab ya auto afford nahi kar sakta, especially when fuel prices are skyrocketing,” shares Priyanka Saini, a student of Delhi University’s Miranda House. And her college mate, Kanupriya, adds, “The women in yellow saree was clearly at fault because you can’t reserve seat for someone by keeping your bag. She should have offered the seat to someone else who needed it at that moment... But this is usual. What also annoys me further is that people have resumed sitting on the floor, even when it’s clearly written not to sit there. It just blocks the way for other passengers, and sometimes even makes us jostle way too hard to reach the exit door to get off at the station.”
Jacqueline Joseph, a Delhi-based corporate professional who has experienced something similar to the viral video, adds, “I saw the video, too and it’s very common in Delhi Metro for people to not make space for others to sit, especially in the Yellow Line where I too have experienced something similar. There was this one lady who behaved in the same fashion, and when I requested her to shift her bag, she said: ‘It’s my laptop bag and I can neither keep it on the floor for people to kick it nor on my lap as it’s heavy’. To avoid the fight, I went to the general compartment where in fact men do seem willing to offer a seat if you request them. It’s not allowed to eat inside the metro, but people still eat. It’s wrong when they end up dirtying the seat or coach!”
{{/usCountry}}Jacqueline Joseph, a Delhi-based corporate professional who has experienced something similar to the viral video, adds, “I saw the video, too and it’s very common in Delhi Metro for people to not make space for others to sit, especially in the Yellow Line where I too have experienced something similar. There was this one lady who behaved in the same fashion, and when I requested her to shift her bag, she said: ‘It’s my laptop bag and I can neither keep it on the floor for people to kick it nor on my lap as it’s heavy’. To avoid the fight, I went to the general compartment where in fact men do seem willing to offer a seat if you request them. It’s not allowed to eat inside the metro, but people still eat. It’s wrong when they end up dirtying the seat or coach!”
{{/usCountry}}On the condition of anonymity, a Delhiite says, “This one time, a young chap sitting right in front of me starting cutting nails. I thought to myself, ‘Yeh koi jagah hai ye kaam karne ki!’. I didn’t say anything to him, but was obviously grossed out.”
Apurva Kriti, a final year student of DU’s Kirori Mal College, says, “Things are apparently getting back to normal and Covid-19 is no more scaring people. However, being used to the Covid-19 restrictions, it gets really uncomfortable to see people without masks especially amid huge crowds. A toh fine rule bhi wapas aa gaya hai, but phir bhi people are so careless that sometimes they could be coughing and sneezing due to the changing weather or strong air conditioner, and yet wouldn’t care to mask up.”
Sahil Bhatt, a techie from Noida, says, “Getting a seat in Delhi metro is no doubt the first real struggle! It’s not uncommon for people to fight for seats in the Metro coach. But now as most Covid-19 curbs have been paused, and people are more or less travelling like in normal times, these fights are back with a bang, too. But the most irritating thing that I’ve experienced is when people go on and on coversing on their phone, and many a times even on speaker or loud. Once a guy was bragging so loudly about himself while talking over phone that it made me give him dirty looks to lower his volume. Maybe that’s the reason why Delhiites are famous for the dialogue: Tujhe pata nahi mera baap kaun ha’! Arre jab music loud pe bajana mana hai toh obviously baat bhi dheere hi karni chahiye na. How will someone wanting to hear the announcement about the next station will be able to do so?”
Author tweets @Nainaarora8
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