I have just had the worst travelling experience on my way back from Patna to Dhanbad. In a compartment meant to accommodate 8 there were at least 20-25 people stuffed like pigs and hens. Although I had a berth reserved for me, it was occupied by 5 other people. And these were not the ones with a wait-listed Sleeper ticket that did not get confirmed, they were the ones supposed to be travelling in Second Seater. The situation was worsened by the hot and humid climate. "We Indians are hairy people, we perspire a lot and then stink" - Russel Peters. Its not like I haven't travelled in DTC busses, but that is for at most 2 hours while this was a 9 hour journey ( took 11 - courtsey highly unpunctual Indian Railways). I developed sympathy for the British people whom I hated for kicking Indians out of railway carriages during British Raj, because I was feeling a similar urge. Until 12 there was no sign of any TT, and upon inquiring we came to know about incidences when these so called "daily passengers" had pushed the Ticket Checker out of running train.
All we so called tech-literates complain about is slow speed of Internet and interrupted power supply while there are people who still travel like slaves, and the middle class people are not able to travel comfortably despite having paid for it. Indian Railways boasts off about being the only successful public sector railways! But I want to ask the authorities, what do they want me to be proud of? The stinking platforms of Old Delhi where all you can see is shit on tracks or the utterly comfortable journey that I just had?
