Crushed trains and essence of Mumbai

Thak! Thak! Thak! All the heads in the local train bogie turned in the direction of the sound. It was a familiar one, but everyone was interested to know who was at the receiving end of those three tight slaps. A middle-aged man, obviously with a red face, was staring angrily at another passenger wearing a black shirt and perhaps of the same age.

“G**** can’t you see, it is now my turn to sit. I have been standing from CST. Don’t you know the rules? Regular nahi hai kya tu? (Don’t you travel regularly)” asked the man in the black shirt. Unfortunately for the other guy, who did not seem a regular passenger, the sudden violence was an unbearable insult. Helpless as he was, he got down at the next station.

These small fights, which turn big at times, have become an integral part of the daily commute in local trains.

You don’t need a reason to start abusing another person. There are sufficient reasons for abuses to fly… for example, if you tread on the shoes of another person. The abuses start with “Andha hai kya” (Are you blind) and end with “Utar agle station pe, dikhata hoon tereko” (Get down at the next station and I will deal with you).

In a small bogie, which carries people three times its capacity, people can’t even stand properly. And in such a condition, if someone gets pushed or pulled or both, people find enough space to turn around and give the person who pushed or pulled one tight slap.

There are thousands of people who travel, with thousand of thoughts and emotions. Some are happy, some are sad; some are tense about their work while others about their exams. Or perhaps there are family problems, or a child’s demand that remains unfulfilled.

Then there is the general rage against the world at large — corruption, rising prices, the crush in the bogie day after day… It all builds up, bit by bit. And all that person needs is a small excuse to vent out that anger out on someone.

But for all the rage exposed in train coaches, Mumbaikars never stop. They may fight or celebrate, but life goes on… Train fights reflect that: sometimes they appear brutal, but often, within minutes, both parties settle down and continue peacefully, aware that they are literally in the same bogie. Fights are stopped by other passengers, because they may get bruised in any quarrel that turns ugly. When others raise their voices, the quarrelling parties suddenly fall silent, as if nothing happened.

A week ago, two men got involved in a fight for some vague reason. Slaps and abuses were exchanged, and the situation seemed pretty ugly. After a minute or two, one of them realised that the other person had a huge bag and a family in tow. He stopped the fight. While preparing to get down at Dadar station, he advised the other person:

“Never travel with your family and with a lot of luggage during the rush hours. Don’t you even know such a small thing? Here, let me help you carry your bag. It will be easier for you to get down at Dadar.”

This, in essence, is what Mumbai is all about.