An ode to a creative co-passenger
Travel – be it by train or by bus or even your own car, is hardly worth talking about if it’s all smooth and cozy. It’s the challenge enroute and the struggle to overcome the odds that makes it worth writing about.
Let me start with the latest episode. Pondichery to Chennai via ECR. I boarded the the SETC bus at Pondy in the evening at 7:30 on Monday. I wouldn’t have boarded had I known if it was SETC. I realized only when the tickets were issued. So much for reputation.
All was smooth till we crossed Mamallapuram. Do I even care to think of it? NO. Then some incontinent soul wanted the bus to be stopped. The over cautious driver deems it fit to apply hand brakes. Only that the hand brakes would not get released thereafter. The bus hardly moved even while the engine was roaring. It was around 9:30PM. The struggles of the driver went in vain.
The response from the nearby depot demonstrated why people are so pro-privatization. Disdain is the only word I can think of. Disdain for passengers, the crew and their time.
At last one mechanic from the depot came up and told categorically he would not repair these types of buses(it was a TATA)!
None of the vehicles passing by stopped.
A fellow passenger said he can try a workaround if only he gets the appropriate spanner(24-27 i think). The bus had none.
“Vandile stepneya kedayadhu sir, neenga spanner kekuriyale” was the driver’s response. Oh yeah that did not stop them from charging 7 bucks more than the normal fare, its EXPRESS you see!
The next task was to get a spanner.
All the attempts by the crew and the passengers to stop some ongoing vehicles to get a spanner did not quite work out.
Then someone spotted a car mechanic shop on the highway and there comes the prized spanner.
After exactly an hour, the enterprising passenger surfaced from the bus underneath and said ‘Done’. He had effectively disconnected the hand brake and released the wheels.
There was a round of genuine applause when the bus started moving and as the guy took his seat. He was our savior.
I reached home around 11.30.
This post is an ode to the creative passenger, but for whom I would’ve reached god knows when. Hail creativity and lateral thinking!
This post is also a note to people not to board SETC buses. The buses are poorly maintained. They don’t have any tools whatsoever in the event of a minor breakdown. And as if all these are not enough, they charge you more. They provide writeable travel experiences though. Grrrrr…..
March 15th, 2006 at 8:52 am
Pathetic state of affiars indeed. Now u see why the workers are so against-privatisation. They cannot simply wish away work like they do in a public enterprise.
March 15th, 2006 at 9:37 am
wow!
so sweet of the guy who saved you!
It proves once again that God comes to us in many forms!
March 15th, 2006 at 9:55 am
id rather go without the writeable experience ;p hehehe but then u wouldn’t have met such a innovative individual
March 15th, 2006 at 10:57 am
All govt buses are like that…hell on wheels..
March 15th, 2006 at 3:40 pm
i dont know why the govt doesnt care abt this when it happens all over. u r lucky enough to get a fellow passenger who helped u. the same thing happened 10 yrs ago when we were travelling to rameshwaram. we got stranded in a place of nowhere and spent abt 12 hrs ,the whole night we slept on the road. only the next day we got help and reached the destination. so, arasu iyanthiram innum appidiye thaan ullathu.
March 15th, 2006 at 7:22 pm
In general, Pondichery to Chennai via ECR is a wonderful experience -the pitless road, sea breeze, the view…it’s all great…well, if not for such breakdowns!:)
March 15th, 2006 at 8:06 pm
“Vandile stepneya kedayadhu sir, neenga spanner kekuriyale” hahahahaha..
nallavangalum irukka thaan seyyraanga
March 15th, 2006 at 8:59 pm
enna sar, ithu, express transport na ithu thaan..ongalukku theriyave theriyaatha??
word verfication “yqfykmkc”
perusaayinde varathu
March 15th, 2006 at 11:21 pm
karthik,
pathetic indeed!
monu,
true. but dont you think go’ve would’ve been happier with less work if man had the sense to have atleast a stepney and a spanner?
visith,
me too visith. writeable yes but not enjoyable:(
March 15th, 2006 at 11:25 pm
ss,
sadly true!
veda,
bah! now yr exerience beats mine. reall torrid time.
casement,
superbly laid road.you can see a big enough board for each and every single village, not to mention the reflecors which indicate which half of the road the vehicle is in. work done with lot of thought. but all this doesn’t matter if u r stuck:(
vinesh,
driver rombo nallavar dhaan:)
vijay,
the response from the depot guys was the height of recklessness.
March 16th, 2006 at 3:39 am
Good read !
I am surprised that he got a good applause though. Usually kandukkaama free a vitruppaangale makkal ? Gratitude konjam kammi dhaan namma makkal kku ! You’re not remembered unless you co starred with aishwarya rai or you hit a century in sydney. These everyday heroes are forgotten ! Atleast you remembered and wrote about him. Good stuff !
March 16th, 2006 at 8:04 am
Dinesh,
if not for him, my plight wud’ve been like Veda’s (read her comment).
epdi marakradhu?
March 21st, 2006 at 3:50 pm
This is so disgusting. This forces me to say in Hungary at any point of time even if its midnight and if you pass the red signal through your licence is ceased. So they fear to break the law. In the parking lot of swiz if you park over the white line then you pay 100 CHF equivalent to 75 USD. Also i still remember the horrifying travel from trichy to bangalore in ttdc just behind the driver seats which was drilling my back with the horrible drrrr sound and no more government buses hence in life..But to say KSRTC is the best service i ever experienced. Trust them.Its good.
March 22nd, 2006 at 2:00 pm
barbienan,
regarding govt services, yes the stories r endless.will try to take SRTC as and when possible
January 19th, 2008 at 9:21 am
check this link -
Public Transportation In Tamil Nadu-Chennai-Coi… - http://tamilnaduacbuses.blogspot.com/