It all boils down to the experiences in the railways.
A day in June 2014. It was raining since early morning, but not very heavily. I left for office around 11.15 AM. Got into the slow to CST around 11.35. Train went fine till Vikroli. It left Vikroli and stopped. For about 15 minutes. Started and stopped again after a few meters. Our first class women's compartment was a little less than a kilometer away from Ghatkopar station. There was not much water on the tracks at that point. Seemed like the tracks at the usual suspects - Kurla and Sion - were submerged and trains had stopped mid way.
A fellow commuter's husband was in the railways and she was getting updates from him. She told us that trains would start moving in half an hour or so. By now, we had been in the train for more than two hours.
Many commuters had jumped from the train and had started walking towards Ghatkopar. However, some women from my compartment too did that but we could see that it was very difficult to jump the 7-8 feet, inspite of the stairs available below the doors. That train had many School teachers, wearing sarees. For them, it would have been impossible to get down without pulling the saree well above the knees. That kept most of them from jumping.
I had my water bottle and my lunch box. But my mobile battery was going down very fast. And I had to pee. Very urgently.
Those of us who decided against jumping and staying put in the train were chatting among ourselves, offering snacks. giving seats too, because there were more women than seats available.
We reached Ghatkopar around 3 PM.
I wasn't keen to take the risk of getting stuck further and I decided to get back home.
Lessons learnt?
Ordered a mobile battery back up the same evening.
Not to drink water before leaving for office, if it is raining.
Carry some snacks, a towel/tissue papers for emergency.
I don't even want to start about toilets for women here.
Neither about announcements.
Nor about some arrangement to help women get down from the train in such cases.
A day in June 2014. It was raining since early morning, but not very heavily. I left for office around 11.15 AM. Got into the slow to CST around 11.35. Train went fine till Vikroli. It left Vikroli and stopped. For about 15 minutes. Started and stopped again after a few meters. Our first class women's compartment was a little less than a kilometer away from Ghatkopar station. There was not much water on the tracks at that point. Seemed like the tracks at the usual suspects - Kurla and Sion - were submerged and trains had stopped mid way.
A fellow commuter's husband was in the railways and she was getting updates from him. She told us that trains would start moving in half an hour or so. By now, we had been in the train for more than two hours.
Many commuters had jumped from the train and had started walking towards Ghatkopar. However, some women from my compartment too did that but we could see that it was very difficult to jump the 7-8 feet, inspite of the stairs available below the doors. That train had many School teachers, wearing sarees. For them, it would have been impossible to get down without pulling the saree well above the knees. That kept most of them from jumping.
I had my water bottle and my lunch box. But my mobile battery was going down very fast. And I had to pee. Very urgently.
Those of us who decided against jumping and staying put in the train were chatting among ourselves, offering snacks. giving seats too, because there were more women than seats available.
We reached Ghatkopar around 3 PM.
I wasn't keen to take the risk of getting stuck further and I decided to get back home.
Lessons learnt?
Ordered a mobile battery back up the same evening.
Not to drink water before leaving for office, if it is raining.
Carry some snacks, a towel/tissue papers for emergency.
I don't even want to start about toilets for women here.
Neither about announcements.
Nor about some arrangement to help women get down from the train in such cases.
Blog pahila fakt. Vaachàt jaaeen tase kalven. Good effort
ReplyDeletethank you Dada.
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