Indian Railways: Chaos and my 17 km survival journey

If I would have to describe Indian Railways in adjectives I would describe it as- chaos, unorganised. So here is my story about how the most third class unresponse from Indian Railways meant that I had to cover the last 18 km of my journey through my kind of hell. What I would write here would not be something really fancy, but you’ll have to consider one thing that I was really really sick with my blood pressure fluctuating between low and normal for the last five hours and I was drifting out of sleep, unconsciousness to know situation awareness and the likes.

So, due to my health issue I left the office early at 3 PM to catch the train at 4. Just giving you a spoiler that the distance was from Kanpur to Lucknow with an approximate distance of 72 km as per the railway ticket, but you can take up 80 because that’s what that is, more or less. So my train from Kanpur departs 20 minutes late at 4:20 PM, goes on a evening walk with the pace, not better than a local train. There is only one stoppage in between Kanpur Lucknow and that is Unnao, 20 km from Kanpur after that, it’s flat-out non-stop Lucknow. The scheduled stop which was 5 minutes eventually went to 20 minutes, but even then, I did not sense that something was wrong (not wrong apart from my health). By the time the train reached Amausi, a distance of just 17 km from station to station which would take not more than 35 minutes maximum to Lucknow.

My nightmare started, that station is 4 track station where trains are taken on the loop line and the ones from behind a given go through pass. Although my train was not scheduled to stop there, but it did and later did I realise that it was the loop line, which meant that some other train from behind was being given the pass. There was some trouble when the train did not move an inch for the next 20 minutes, and that was 5:35 then. Rumours started flying in the compartment that the train would not go any further, the engine had broken down, there was some derailment and all sort of things. My body was not cooperating with me and I was having bouts of unconsciousness, so I missed 2 trains which came on the next track, people literally stormed the two trains and went away. By the time my body was stable enough to take decisions and move forward, there were no signs of any more incoming trains. With increasing growing darkness, the trains started to become empty as the people left behind slowly de-boarded and made the way to the station and look for alternate means to go to their destinations. There were no proper announcements regarding the next train to come, what’s the current status of the train and all, so there was a lot of confusion out there. I had to go only 18 km to Lucknow, but the others had much greater distances to travel beyond that. 

Crossing 3 tracks is a dangerous proposition in fading light, when you have to keep your senses really alert to hear any incoming trains and in the meanwhile to make sure that you don’t hurt yourself in the hurry. What I did was to not cross the tracks directly to the station, but I went ahead towards the engine in the hope that if I could get a hold of the engine driver himself, I could ask him whats the status of the train and if there is any chance of it heading to Lucknow sometime later? The engine was powered off. In the meantime, I had already tried the railway enquiry number, but all I got was a message saying that you would be charged 2 rupees for this call and after that the call got disconnected automatically. Looks like Indian Railways works only on Twitter and nowhere else, damn the digital India. I was cursing, “Take 20 instead of two. But get the damn call connected to somebody.” In the meantime I had called up my father at Lucknow, who had come to pick me up and asked him to get the status of the train as of Lucknow. He had said that it was showing the train would be late by 1 hr from the scheduled time, the time which had already passed so here I was in total utter confusion as the status of the train at the next big station was that it would be late, but there was no clarity as there was no manual response and only the display boards were showing the status of the train. He was calling me again and again, saying that the Railways was increasing that late arrival of that train time after time and there was no fixed time to that.

In the meantime, the guard of the train was going from coach to coach telling people to get off the train as the train had been cancelled, he was literally telling people to get off. Damn those 17 km. I knew that the closest landmark or maybe the easiest one for me was to make to the airport (Amausi has an airport ) or maybe get on the road to the airport from where I could get transportation to Lucknow really easily, but this station was totally new to me. I had no clue which way to go. 

So I decided to whip out the Google map on my phone, punch in the landmark and head to that direction. At the ticket counter of the station I asked any mode of transportation available to make it either to the airport or the Lucknow Kanpur highway. The clerk said to me that the airport was some 8 to 9 km away from the station, but I had to move fast as the auto, E Rickshaw drivers here were fond of eating and drinking, so they won’t be available too late to catch one of them. Mind you, it was 7:10 PM then. Neither me nor my father had ever come to this station, so we had no clue that it was from which direction from the Lucknow railway station. So there was no question of him coming to pick me up more so the fact that he was not well with using Google maps and navigation . Making my way through the rubble of an under construction flyover and darkness, using the flashlight on the phone as a guide , I reached the road outside the station, but there were no transportation available. Whatever transportation was available was not ready to go anyway, it was point-blank refusal. Only the refuelling tankers were my companion as the Indian oil refilling station was nearby, it meant that there would be some habitation or activity. I decided to follow my delhi habits and walk, while navigating from the phone, a guy with a wheeler and a backpack later joined me (name Ishan), behind us, a family of some 4 more people came together with the loads of luggage and we had gone barely some 200 m when we decided to ask the drivers at the refilling point the way to Lucknow, they told us that we were heading in the wrong direction and we should have taken a left from the station instead of heading straight on, they said that distance to the main road was 5 to 7 km. We head back to starting point and just then noticed an e rickshaw coming, he agreed to take us to Lucknow. We let that family get in and saw them off . In the meantime, we saw a Maruti car pulling up and we asked the driver if he could give us a lift to the highway and he said that he would be back in some 10 minutes and then he would take us where we wanted to go. We got hold of another rickshaw and had barely gone some 20 m before he said, “Sir, battery low, it can’t go any further,”. We got down and had to wait for the car driver. After some five minutes he came and made our way to our destination. It was not 5-7 . Easily some 9 km before the main road. At the very start we could have travelled that distance but there were lonely stretches of road in between, and uneven surface, and not really good atmosphere. We thanked the driver , got down and tried getting hold of some transport, the tempos would be taking much longer to Lucknow. So those were out of the question. My mind had jammed about the next step , just then Ishan said, “Now we can book an Ola or Uber”..

After constantly trying to book a cab, got successful in the next one, arrived within five minutes. We plonked down our luggage and sat down to a destination of Lucknow railway station. Ishan checked the status of the train on the phone in realise that that same train from which we both deboarded and was deemed to be “cancelled” reached, Lucknow at 8:20 PM, right now, it was it 8:35. The train had been diverted from his usual route as a goods train had derailed after Lucknow, so a lot of diversions were going on. He abandoned his plans going to the railway station and decided to stay for the night in Lucknow atan acquaintance place, and I decided to continue the same journey to my home instead, calling my father and telling him to go home while I was reaching there directly now.

It was 9:25 by the time I reached home, a full 5 ½ hours after I had first boarded the train, 1 hour after the cancelled ghost train had reached its destination. Leaving me in the lurch.... It was a nightmare for me, covering those 17 km per railway what damn exhausted as I had to be hundred percent on my guard while not being well to make sure that I don’t get mugged by anyone.

There were a lot of issues-

· There was no clear cut information from the Railways. The information proved to be false and misleading as well. In the end as the train, which was supposed to be cancelled eventually reaches destination.

· I had to make a decision there and then of deboarding the train and searching for alternating meetings of transport because I couldn’t be left alone in a train in such darkness and I had didn’t knew that whether the train would eventually go or not.

· All those years of watching survival programs on discovery came to the rescue where I remembered that I had to use the navigation, knowledge of the nearest landmark I could search for, the place where I wanted to go, the nearest road I should take.

· Ishan and me helped each other out, my use of Google maps gave him the idea of the distance to our destination and whether we could make it there or not, his idea of a very basic thing of calling a cab, I was not sure cabs came so far to pick up passengers or not.

· Although my father later said that I did the mistake of taking a decision too soon to get down from the train, I would have reached Lucknow by 8:20, he didn’t realise that in an 18 coach train where there are less than 18 people left you have to think the next step. 

· I was in the vicinity of Lucknow so I knew so many things to think off, what would have happened in an unknown place?

· The so-called high-tech and digital Twitter handle of Indian Railways were unresponsive that day because the tweet sent by me asking about the status of the train, still remains unanswered.

· That day, although not directly, but we felt like survivors of a train mishap and probably experienced the same feeling as people do at that time- what next and how to reach the destination?

There was total misinformation by the Railways as had they provided us the correct information as to the running of that train which left me behind, none of us would have faced such issues. That’s why Indian Railways can be described in one word - chaos.

First run the current trains properly and then only think about running the genies dream of bullet trains in India, you are not made for it....

किताब ... #FridayFotoFiction

अपने ज़माने में कभी स्कूल शुरू तो किया था मगर फिर घर की 

जिम्मेदारियां आ गयीं और पढ़ाई छोड़ कर फिर शादी हो गयी मगर

पढ़ने की ललक हमेशा बनी रही . उन्हें आज भी याद है वो दिन जब

अपनी पोती के होने पर कितना हंगामा किया था क्यूंकि उहें पोता

चाहिए था, “ बोझ “ नहीं ..

आज वही बोझ इतनी बड़ी हो गयी कि पिछली गर्मी की छुट्टियों में

आई थी तो अपनी पुरानी स्कूल की कहानियों की किताब अपनी दादी

के पास छोड़ गयी थी...

अब जब भी उनकी पुरानी ललक जाग उठती है तो खाली वक़्त में

उसी पुरानी किताब में कहानियों के बीच में अपनी पोती को ढूंढ लेती

हैं ...

Linking up with Tina and Mayuri

How some Formula 1 tactics make driving a bit easier

Driving vehicles these days is no less than a nightmare. It’s a constant weaving pattern on the roads where you are trying to evade the next vehicle on the road rather than drive your own vehicle. Everybody loves speed, so here I am putting together some of the few practical aspects of driving inspired by none other than the pinnacle of racing - Formula One. These tactics and methods when used in real life also would prove to be beneficial when you’re driving. The only catch here is that it’s based on my personal experience over the years and not all points are applicable when you’re driving car because over the years I have gathered this way of driving on my Activa. So what’s applicable to 2 wheelers would be true for cars, but yeah , a few points are common to driving all. 

So it’s time to take the leaf out of the Formula One racing car booklet, real life and hit the road. It does not mean that only Formula One experience and tactics would come into play. There would be few instances where you would also get a glimpse of how closely it resembles flying a fighter jet way you have to think like a fighter pilot, even on the road. So, bringing you this small, light read, without any particular order-

Tires – “There is a puncture and I am coming into the pits”. This line has been spoken over the years in F1 by the drivers. Even if it’s a puncture or a bit of loss of air pressure, it affects the racing car. Same is the case with two wheelers, wherein if you drive the vehicle, you would instantly notice a drop in the handling of the vehicle and the drive if they raise even bit of less air pressure in a tires So it's advisable to keep the tires at the correct air pressure at least once a week. Don’t try to dive into the pits at the very last moment.

Helmet – The basic safety device. The one worn in India not because of safety, but more due to saving money due to challans and all. People are apprehensive about wearing it because it feels odd to have a मटका over your head, which feels really uncomfortable and inconvenient. It takes time to get used to the helmet and once you get the hang of it. Believe me, you won’t leave home without it. It had taken me three days actually get a hang of the helmet. My jaw was pinning and even the shoulders were exhausted in the beginning but as time passed, it only felt like a second skin. Instead dead of saving money on cheap duplicates, it is better to splurge somewhere around1100 bucks to buy a branded ISI stamped helmet. They aid in driving as in adverse weather such as heavy rain, dust, you easily pull down the visor as a fighter pilot and continue driving unabated. You also don’t have to squint your eyes as you do it without helmet to focus on the road ahead. No hindrance in vision means a lot of ease in driving.

Fuel –Whether or not you like mocktails or not, don’t ever try to do that with fuel. The so-called ordinary unleaded petrol and the specialty branded petrol don’t work together well. The real advantage of increased mileage in branded fuel would only come to the forefront after you have had at least two eyes filled up the tank with that fuel. If you are refilling the tank with branded petrol and there is already unleaded in the tank, be assured that you will see a drop in the mileage for this time. It’s only when you use branded fuel for a few times that you would start noticing the increase in mileage otherwise not. Another con of branded fuel is that it is used up more in braking than unleaded. I have noticed this many times over the years that while braking a lot of fuel is used up in comparison to the unleaded one.

Watch out watch out- There is a commercial by a company with the tagline, “the streets are full of idiots”. Whether you like it or not, this is a hard reality of every Indian city, Indian road. You have got to watch out. One of the primary requirements the Indian air force looks for is to have multitasking ability and very sharp vigil sense. This is what is used while driving. You never know when some idiot would suddenly swerve in front of you at a T point, would jump the red light or the likes. You have to scan the roads like a radar may be probably some 75 m ahead of your vehicle with the constant thought to take any emergency action if the need arises. You would have animals making – across the road, people running in front jumping dividers as if their clothes are on fire…. These are the idiots which make driving so dangerous. So watch out the road in front of you.

The “ बाहर की गाडी “ - These vehicles are more of a nuisance and less of a threat. The driving style of a vehicle, in most cases 4 wheeler is alien to the traffic part in a few city just by looking at the number plate of the vehicle. If the vehicle is going too slow or too cautious, you can very well conclude that the person is from another city and is probably searching for destination. The only way to get past it is to overtake it as soon as possible. Otherwise you would be lagging behind that vehicle for may be kms.

Benchmarkers- This is a tactic used in F1, wherein you put a car between you and your pursuer , so that the one behind takes time to overtake the car you have put between you and him and in the meantime you can make a quick getaway. It has happened many times where the guys with the cars just honk unnecessarily and tried to overtake you. When you know that there is just enough space for a two wheeler to overtake the car or vehicle in front of you. In that case, make a judgement and overtake the vehicle as soon as possible and 9/10 times the car behind you would now be stuck trying to overtake the benchmarker and you can make a quick getaway. It’s all about way you overtake the car in front so that the eager followers stuck at a point with can’t overtake and he can’t trouble you with his so-called fake urgency.

No radio- Its only for F1 drivers and fighter pilots who have the facility of using radio communications while they are driving the car / flying the jet. Don’t ever try the hero gimmick of either driving with a cellphone stuck in the helmet or with the earphones on. You won’t realise that it’s really fit in in case of an accident where the shards of broken cellphone or earphones can badly damaged the ears and can lead to serious injuries or even disabilities. It’s only fighter pilots who were trained to do multiple data art once, but remember that they are up there in the sky with no traffic and you are in a very different position on the road with so many vehicles going bumper to bumper, you don’t have the luxury of clear skies and afterburners. Somethings are reserved for those who are good at it. You are not a fighter pilot, you are not driving an F1 car at the circuit…. You’re doing nothing of it, so chill out and don’t do these things. You’re not trained for this.

Overtake – This is more or less related to the benchmark. You slingshot from very close to the vehicle in front of you and overtake with increasing speed. That’s what I term as using DRS and slingshot manoeuvre. There is reflexes become accustomed to overtaking the vehicle in front with a sudden burst of acceleration. Aerodynamically also it helps ours overtaking from what you term as point blank range, distance wise would help you much easily done overtaking from say a few feet away. The chance to overtake does not mean that you necessarily overtake, come what may. If you feel that you want to be able to safely overtake the vehicle in front and make a getaway of comfortable few metres after that due to the opposing lane traffic, you can always bail out of the manoeuvre, and that’s what F1 drivers also do.

Honk that horn- What I’ve noticed over the years is the fact that people dont use horns when really needed. At blind corners use the horn or maybe even when you know that the blind spot damn dangerous for the usage of the horn at the very last moment, it’s advisable that you start blaring the horn a few metres before you approach your designated turn or blind spot. It might seem a bit rude to the others. Bart there have been instances where the approaching vehicle from the opposite side has slowed down the vehicle so that we both don’t have a head on collision. It’s also helpful in instances where you know just by observing that the vehicle or vehicles in front of you can turn any moment or even come to a stop. It’s in times like these that the horn lets them know that there is somebody behind , who is trying to tell you to be cautious with your sudden movements.

Load changes everything- What you might think is possible when driving solo won’t be true when you’re riding somebody at the pillion. The added weight throws a whole lot of new equation and affects the amount of throttle available to you, the overtaking time and speed at your disposal plus the reflexes also have to factor a lot of things. You can’t weave and overtake as you did previously. Because this time, you also have to take care that the person sitting behind you does not get hurt in this overtaking manoeuvre.

Those silent hitters – That’s what I term these so-called e rickshaws. Providing employment to the person driving those be dammed, these are one of the biggest security hazards on the road. Everybody now who does nothing substantial just buys an e rickshaw and starts plying on the road. Kids who have never probably riden a bicycle also operate these vehicles. Damn dangerous for the other people who are driving on the road. Stay clear of these people. Use benchmarks, overtaking, DRS, slingshot or whatever means necessary, but make sure that you’re not stuck behind them. Also, the bugger fact is that they don’t use headlights at night because of conservation of battery so you don’t know that they’re coming from the opposite direction, you would have no clue and they don’t care.

Fire up those missiles- Now this is a very fun thing I do. If I’m stuck in traffic where I can’t overtake with the ease or drive at my normal speed I turn into a 10-year-old and start fining those imaginary missile and machine gun from my activa and imagine explosions. This really helps me to de-stress while it creates distance between me and the various vehicles so that in the next few metres I can try all those overtaking tactics once the road is a bit clear and have a clean shot at getting away. In my imagination I’ve blown up, probably thousands of vehicles over the years while waiting for traffic lights to go green, overtake and such things.

I keep my mind radar on and I’m constantly looking at the situational awareness on the route. These are some of the few points which help you tackle can help you tackle the traffic issues a bit more easily. As said before, it’s a mix of F1 and a fighter pilot flying his jet.

His fairy. #FridayFotoFiction

She opens her eyes and thinks what has happened?? Was it her mistake to get married? 

It was her wedding night last night but no intimacy happened between them.

Dead tired, he just flopped on the bed and went to sleep.

Occasionally he put an arm around her but that was it.

Sunlight started flooding their room.

Her wedding dress still clinging to her body like a fully dressed fairy.

As she parted the curtains to let the light come in, she heard him say from behind her , “ You look like the perfect fairy, my fairy. I so badly want to make love to you right now. Just stay there”.

She knew that his love and passion would make her love this marriage even more…afterall, she cant speak , but his voice and love was enough for her, for both of them.

Linking up with Tina and Mayuri

Captivating: The Vodafone #LookUp Friendship Day ad.

Very rarely you find ads which touch a chord instantly.. This Friendship day Vodafone comes out with a ad which shows us that what is really wrong with us, we are glued every moment to our phones that we miss the real moments with our friends. 

This ad tells us to detox from the online world and tells to spend the time with our real friends. The ad with a difference and even more awesome are the lines in the background.