If it is a railway travel in Mumbai, you have to be calculative.
Calculative not only with reference to the minutes and seconds, but also with reference to which local, which compartment, etc.
I live in Mulund, so a Thane-CST train is my best option in the morning, for a comfortable journey. It is likely to be less crowded and chances of getting to sit are more. However, the crowd in the 12 compartments of the Thane-CST local is not equal. Because Thane station's topography is interesting. That station has 12 platforms, which are of course parallel to each other but they don't begin at the same point. For example, if you take the southern most FoB, and get down at platform two, the CST end ladies' compartment would be nearest. However, if you get down at platform 7, from which the Thane-CST fast local leaves, the Kalyan end ladies' compartment would be nearest. You would need to walk for a minute and a half at least to reach the CST end compartment. Most women don't have that one and a half minute in the morning. So only a handful manage or choose to walk all the way to the first compartment. Which is why I get an easy entry or a seat, if I enter that compartment at Mulund. The other compartments - both first and second class - are crowded and no chance of getting a seat there.
If the train is leaving from platform 1, which begins where platform 2 ends, it is the same situation. Most women don't have time to reach the CST end.
So, I plan which train I am catching and accordingly I choose which compartment I should get into. If it's a Thane local, it's the CST end compartment. There too, the second class compartment right behind the motorman is almost empty. There you go.
On return journey, if I am catching the Dadar-Kalyan fast local from platform 4, I go to the CST end first class compartment, because if it is the farthest from the most commonly used bridges. If I have reached the platform much earlier, I might go for the middle first class compartment, which - lo and behold - has a queue of women commuters. They wait in a queue at the platform, and actually get into the train in a queue, they don't jump into the running train. 14 women can sit in the compartment, so I wait in the queue if there are less than 14 women in the queue. If more, I go to the last compartment, where I get a chance to sit if I manage to jump into the running train.
Similarly, if I am catching the Dadar-Kalyan slow local from platform 2, I would go to the CST end compartment, as it is the farthest from the most used bridges.
Many commuters choose their compartments based on - where is the exit at their destination station, if the bridge is near at the station, if their friends also travel in the same compartment, and so on.
The calculations also work when you know the type of commuters that are traveling. for example, the Thane-CST slow locals after 10.30 are most likely to be full of college students, who would alight mainly at Sion or Matunga. Which translates into you have to stand, no chance of a seat.
What are your calculations while traveling on the Mumbai local?
Calculative not only with reference to the minutes and seconds, but also with reference to which local, which compartment, etc.
I live in Mulund, so a Thane-CST train is my best option in the morning, for a comfortable journey. It is likely to be less crowded and chances of getting to sit are more. However, the crowd in the 12 compartments of the Thane-CST local is not equal. Because Thane station's topography is interesting. That station has 12 platforms, which are of course parallel to each other but they don't begin at the same point. For example, if you take the southern most FoB, and get down at platform two, the CST end ladies' compartment would be nearest. However, if you get down at platform 7, from which the Thane-CST fast local leaves, the Kalyan end ladies' compartment would be nearest. You would need to walk for a minute and a half at least to reach the CST end compartment. Most women don't have that one and a half minute in the morning. So only a handful manage or choose to walk all the way to the first compartment. Which is why I get an easy entry or a seat, if I enter that compartment at Mulund. The other compartments - both first and second class - are crowded and no chance of getting a seat there.
If the train is leaving from platform 1, which begins where platform 2 ends, it is the same situation. Most women don't have time to reach the CST end.
So, I plan which train I am catching and accordingly I choose which compartment I should get into. If it's a Thane local, it's the CST end compartment. There too, the second class compartment right behind the motorman is almost empty. There you go.
On return journey, if I am catching the Dadar-Kalyan fast local from platform 4, I go to the CST end first class compartment, because if it is the farthest from the most commonly used bridges. If I have reached the platform much earlier, I might go for the middle first class compartment, which - lo and behold - has a queue of women commuters. They wait in a queue at the platform, and actually get into the train in a queue, they don't jump into the running train. 14 women can sit in the compartment, so I wait in the queue if there are less than 14 women in the queue. If more, I go to the last compartment, where I get a chance to sit if I manage to jump into the running train.
Similarly, if I am catching the Dadar-Kalyan slow local from platform 2, I would go to the CST end compartment, as it is the farthest from the most used bridges.
Many commuters choose their compartments based on - where is the exit at their destination station, if the bridge is near at the station, if their friends also travel in the same compartment, and so on.
The calculations also work when you know the type of commuters that are traveling. for example, the Thane-CST slow locals after 10.30 are most likely to be full of college students, who would alight mainly at Sion or Matunga. Which translates into you have to stand, no chance of a seat.
What are your calculations while traveling on the Mumbai local?
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