The
daily commute in Chennai's MRTS is sort of an adventure. Apart from winning the
beeline queue for tickets that crawls forward in snail pace stretching far and
beyond the station entrance gates, getting inside and securing a seat is close
to conquering the Everest on a daily basis. And once seated, the vivid scenes
that are enacted inside by its many passengers are both entertaining as well as
amusing.
Coming
from an accountancy background, where classification is a daily job, the writer
can't help but classify the various co-passengers he meets during his train
ride. Read on, you must know these characters!
1.
The music maniac:
Typically aged somewhere in the 20s. Some rare extreme cases of IT employed
middle aged people can also be found. Gadget freak grandpas and music fanatic
uncles are also on the rise. Has a backpack hanging from one shoulder, usually
uncombed hair if not an office goer, wears branded shoes if not counterfeit and
has an earphone tucked deep into his ear lobes (the most prominent feature).
This character usually has a lost expression on his face and some advanced
cases may display acts of shaking heads and ticking fingers. Harmless, since they are oblivion to the
incidents and to the people surrounding them in a train ride. Often even
forgets to get down at their destination.
2.
The retired employee: Typical
characters to be seen travelling during 7 to 9, when the train is less crowded
and has more air to breathe although no seats to sit. Gets into the train with
a cup of coffee bought from a station vendor, has a Hindu newspaper (99%) or
some other Tamil paper tucked in armpits. Wears a gold spectacle matched with
tilaks on foreheads and stares like they have come from the past in a time
machine. Once seated, they spread out the newspaper like it’s their child's
wedding invitation and keeps studying forever until reaching destination. Some
are even known to clock time taken by the train to pass between two stations.
3.
Romantic couples: The
writer thanks from the bottom of his heart to these co-passengers, who have
been his only source of entertainment as well as frustration combined with
irritation, since the day he has started travelling in Chennai's metro
trains. Mostly college goers although
school goers in uniforms are also widely seen nowadays (much to the
disappointment of the writer's uneventful school days!). Modern day Romeo
Juliet they are who exchange mobile numbers instead of roses. Fortunate
co-passengers can see some less intimate cuddling where the guy tries to
protect his girl from being touched by other passengers even when the train is
empty. Usually have each other holding their hands although coming together of
the lips cannot be ruled out completely. Their journey has no destination as
such, except for the motive of getting an empty compartment.
4.
The detective aunty: A
married, plump, and employed otherwise a home maker with fixed destinations to
Thiruvallikeni or Mylapore for visiting temples if not West Mambalam for T
Nagar shopping. Has a curious eye that
passes judgmental looks which does not spare even the romantic couples. Sometimes
shows irritations with romantic couples and women with short dresses and blames
their parents for the cultural downfall. Also known to utter words of pride of
her cultured daughter(s) who, to her ignorance could possibly be the female
character of the romantic couple in another train on the opposite direction.
5.
The born pervert: Bears a
constant drooling expression, which touches heights when a woman enters the
compartment. Seen with symptoms of craning necks and unnecessary shuffling to
get a better look of his find. Does
not mind stepping onto his fellow passengers to get close to a lady. This type
can be found in all age categories of men which is due to the hormone
imbalances in few but not all. Extreme cases are known to take pictures
of the ladies with mobile cameras before getting beaten up by co-passengers.
Destination - The journey is the destination!
6.
The scrambler: Usually
healthy in appearance but always in a hurry to find a seat. Known to place bags
and other uncommon things to reserve seats. Commonly seen in both genders. -
Finally a case of gender equality to be recorded in history! Known to ask
seated passengers to adjust to have some extra space for seating. Relenting
people will be forced upon with hefty bodies - better to bend than to be broken
by these characters.
7.
The
pensive onlooker: Handsome, educated, well built, with
almost close to Brad Pitt looks who due to unfortunate twists of fate is
travelling on trains and buses. Usually busy with useless thoughts about
purpose of life, status of Indian economy, the prime ministerial election among
other important thoughts of a near empty wallet, unemployment, increasing rates
of mobile charges and bored single life. Sigh! That’s me.
All
attempts has been made by the writer not to insult anybody and to do justice to
all characters. There are even more characters who can be described which I might have missed to notice. Feel free to write in! :)
