Ticket-less Travel

It was a very nice day. I was in a dilemma whether to take an auto-rickshaw or a bus to home. Since I was not in hurry and I was so near to a bus-stop I decided to catch a bus. The day was so pleasant, there was nothing to brood over as the weather was nice, the area was clean, people were busy minding their work , there were no beggars or venders to watch for, so my gaze  fell on the Bangalore city bus coming from the opposite side. The government bus was well maintained, I was amazed by the comforts given in a public transport. The comfort zone ranges from ordinary seater  to A/C buses; they have got automatic doors, which close immediately after the bus starts to move. This system prevented lot of footboard accidents. The digital sign boards displaying the forth-coming point of alighting, was a very convenient arrangement to avoid last minute hurry to alight.  For a state bus traveler of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Bangalore city bus service was in excellence, except the ticket fair. 

My route bus came and I boarded it happily. As usual our maharaja- conductor was sitting in his throne, while the public were in queue to get our tickets. When my turn came I gave him a five rupee note, he returned me a balance of two rupees and started gazing through the window!  I asked “my ticket?” He was still gazing through window. Again I said “sir you didn’t give me my ticket” he replied “madam there is a vacant seat near the door”.  I was stunned by this reaction.   

Slowly the truth sink into me, that the bus conductor was pocketing my money, without giving me ticket. I didn’t have the guts to approach him again. But l wanted to do something desperately. I was very angry with the conductor, in spite of having a government income; he was stealing from the public. He was a thief, he was worst than a roadside beggar.  My anger flared up, I took my mobile and noted down the bus number, the bus route, and the bus timing thinking to file a complaint against the conductor.  My stop came I got down from the bus, still without a ticket.

As a sincerer citizen I approached the bus-depot office. The    office was locked!!! I checked it was a working day (Monday) and the time was 11 a.m.  Eleven-o-clock was considered as peak working hour for any office.  But where did the staff vanish in the day light? When enquired, a vendor told me that the “Sir has gone for a tea break; He will be back within half an hour”.  The vendor showed me a seat to sit and wait. I was sitting their and thinking to whom will I complaint? To the irresponsible depot staff about the corrupted bus conductor?  Why our system is like this? Why the staffs are not honest?  Any how I decided to stay back and file the complaint, come what may.

The depot officer came after 20mintues and opened the office. I approached him and told that I wanted to complain. He stared at me as if I was some alien. I told him the whole incident, he heard it sincerely. At last he took a small paper lying in his desk and scribbled something. Then he told “ok, madam I have noted the complaint, I will inform it to the Superindent, you can leave now”. I was shocked, there was nothing officially filed. The officer didn’t file it in an official paper; there was no complaint date, nor my address.  I asked whether he could tell me where to find the super dent or his contact details. The answer was “madam you have complained know, leave it, we will take care. You have done your duty, we will do ours”.

Who have done their duty?

Did the bus conductor do his duty?

Did the bus depot officer do his duty?

Or the public like you and me do our duty?

If I had the courage to ask the conductor again for my ticket, or threatened him in public. The conductor would have given me my ticket. The passengers who have travelled before in that bus never showed the nerve to revolt back to this ticket- theft.  If we are not raising our voice then, it is as good as encouraging him to continue his day-light loot.  If the first passenger, whom the conductor had cheated, would have raised a voice against him, the conductor wouldn’t have developed the courage to repeat it again. It is now sure that, this contiguous disease could have spread to other conductors and the so-called depot officer would be enjoying a great stake of this loot. The mistake is solely ours (the public). If you want a healthy society we could create one, as the depot officer told we should do our duty.

Image Courtesy: http://www.hindu.com