By Prathaap, THIS IS REAL INCIDENT WHICH TOOKPLACE DURING MY TRAIN JOURNEY TO KERALA LAST YEAR. THIS INCIDENT THAT I WILL BE WRITING NOW IS ENTERTAING AND THE SAME TIME SHOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION. I HAD A CONFIRMED RESERVATION AND WAS SEATED IN SEAT NO 47, I HAD BOARDED THE NETRAVATHY EXPRESS FROM THANE. IN SEAT NO 48 WAS A YOUNG COLLEGE GOING GIRL AND SHE WAS TRAVELLING ALONE. SEAT NOS 47 & 48 ARE THE SIDE SEATS.
THE REMAINING SEATS FROM 41 TO 45 WAS OCCUPIED BY A JOINT FAMILY WITH MAJORITY LADIES AND TWO KIDS. AN NRI PERSON WAS SEATED ON SEAT NO 43. THIS GUY WAS WORKING IN THE GULF AND WAS PROCEEDING ON LEAVE TO HIS HOME TOWN CANNANORE. HE WAS A CHAIN SMOKER AGED IN THE 40s. RIGHT FROM THE TIME WE STARTED FROM THANE, THIS GUY WAS SMOKING CIGARETTES ONE AFTER ANOTHER AND ALL HIS CO-PASSENGERS WERE FEELNG UNCONFORTABLE WITH THE CIGARETTE SMOKE. THE WORST PERSON TO SUFFER WAS MY GIRL PARTNER SITTING OPPOSITE ME.
THE TRAIN STARTED FROM THANE .
THIS GUY WAS SMOKING CIGARETTES ONE AFTER THE OTHER WITHOUT CARING FOR THE OTHER PASSENGERS . THE GIRL SITTING OPPOSITE ME WAS FEELING THE SUFFOCATION. FINALLY SHE CAME CLOSER TO ME AND REQUESTED ME TO TELL THE GUY TO STOP SMOKING IN HIS SEAT. I POLITELY REQUESTED THIS GUY THAT THE GIRL OPPOSITE ME WAS ALLERGIC TO SMOKE , AND REQUESTED HIM TO STAND AT THE REAR END OF THE COACH WHICH HAS LOTS OF STANDING SPACE AT THE ENTRANCE. HE GAVE ME A RUDE REPLY STATING THAT "I HAVE PAID FOR MY TICKET , HOW DARE YOU TELL ME TO DO WHAT I SHOULD DO. HE WAS EGOISTIC , THE OTHER CO-PASSENGERS HEARD HIS RUDE TONE AND WAS AFRAID TO TELL HIM ANYTHING .
THE TWO OTHER MEN WERE GETTING IRRITATED WITH HIM BUT DID NOT HAVE THE GUTS TO TELL HIM ANYTHING. I TOO FELT ANNOYED AT HIS RESPONSE BUT DECIDED NOT TO LOOSE MY COOL OR ELSE THE EXCITEMENT OF THE JOURNEY WILL GET SPOILT. I SAW THE TT COMING FROM THE OTHER END . I APPROACHED HIM AND EXPLAINE THE PROBLEM TO HIM. THE TC WAS VERY CO-OPERATIVE AND FOLLOWED ME TO MY SEAT , THIS GUY WAS NOT AWARE OF THE TC STANDING NEXT TO HIM AND HAD A CIGARETTE IN HIS HANDS.
THE TC CAUGHT HIM RED HANDED AND SLAPPED A FINE OF RS.500/- STRAIGHT AWAY. THIS GUY BEGAN ARGUING WITH TC TO PROVE THAT SMOKING IS PROHIBITED IN TRAINS THE T.C. POINTED OUT A NO SMOKING BOARD WHICH WAS PASTED AT THE REAR END. THIS GUY WAS NOW CORNERED AND HE HAD TO PAY A FINE, THE SAME T.C. CHECKED OUR TICKETS AND PROCEEDED TO THE NEXT SECTION, THIS GUY GAVE ME A STERN LOOK , I TOO LOOKED AT HIM AND TOLD HIM U PAID FOR UR TICKET, NOW BE PREPARED TO PAY THE FINE , AT THIS THE ENTIRE SECTION STARTED LAUGHING AND WAS BOOING HIM .
HEIGHT WISE HE WAS SHORTER THAN ME AND AGE WISE TOO HE WAS YOUNGER THAN ME. WITH HIS LOOKS I FELT THAT HE WILL HAVE A SCUFFLE WITH ME AND I WAS PREPARED FOR IT, BUT HE WAS SO EMBARRASED THAT HE IMMEDIATELY WENT TOWARDS THE ENTRANCE OF THE COACH AND STOOD THERE, HE CUD NOT FACE HIS CO-PASSENGERS ANYMORE. I HAPPENED TO VISIT THE URINAL TO ANSWER NATURES CALL, HE WAS STANDING THERE AND STARTED TELLING ME THAT "YOU MIGHT BE A HAPPY MAN BECAUSE I SHELLED OUT THE FINE" I REPLIED HIM BACK THAT IT WAS HIS LACK OF EDUCATION, EGO AND INABILITY TO ADJUST WITH THE PEOPLE , NO RESPECT AND NO CULTURE THAT HAS LANDED HIM THERE AT THE ENTRANCE. I REQUESTED HIM POLITELY, BUT HE WAS RUDE IN HIS CONVERSATION. ITS A MATTER OF COMMON SENSE AND ETHICS TO RESPECT OTHER PASSENGERS SEATED NEXT TO HIM . HE WAS DUMB.
I THEN AVOIDED HIM AND WENT FOR MY WORK. THROUGHOUT THE JOURNEY HE WAS STANDING AT THE ENTRANCE OR WUD GO TO THE NEXT COACH AND SIT ON A SINGLE SEAT WHICH IS NORMALLY FOR THE TCS. HE CAME BACK TO HIS SEAT AT NIGHT TO OCCUPY HIS TOP MOST BERTH FOR A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP. IN THE MEAN TIME I BECAME FRIENDLY WITH THE GIRL OPPOSITE ME AND WITH THE REST OF THE CO-PASSENGERS . WE WERE LAUGHING AND CRACKING JOKES AND WE REALLY HAD A HILARIOUS TIME . COME TOMMORROW AND IT WAS TIE TO BID GOOD BYE AS I REACHED MY DESTINATION BEFORE TIME. CONCLUSION: WHILE TRAVELLING ON A LONG JOURNEY BY TRAIN, ONE MUST BE WELL BEHAVED, ACCOMODATIVE AND ADJUSTING. WE MAY NOT KNOW WHOSE HELP WE MAY REQUIRE INCASE OF AN EMERGENCY DURING THE JOURNEY