After being chased away from public places, couples are finding innovative spaces to canoodle - railway stations, cabs, buses and even the last train home.
The moral police may have chased away courting couples from the shores and promenades of Mumbai. However, resourceful young people are making the most of whatever available legroom they have. Railway stations, cabs, buses and even the last train home are dating havens for couples seeking privacy in a city starved of open spaces.
Rangita Bose and her boyfriend Rohit Mehra, for instance, swear by air-conditioned public transport. After been given marching orders from their favourite hangout at Bandra Bandstand, the couple now spends time together on air-conditioned BEST buses.
On sweltering afternoons, Bose and Mehra take a bus ride from Andheri to Churchgate and back. “We don’t go anywhere. The idea is to just spend time together. It’s cheap, comfortable and affords us our privacy,” says the couple, which often takes the back seats on the bus for a mere Rs32 per head for a one way commute.
What makes AC buses even more attractive are the tolerant conductors and fellow passengers who have learnt to turn a blind eye to canoodling couples. “The conductor does not even bat an eyelid and is more than happy to leave couples alone,” says media professional Neha Sharma, who often travels from her Bandra home to her Peddar Road office along with her fiancé Salil.
Another preferred mode of transport for dating couples is cabs - air-conditioned or otherwise. “We get at least five requests daily from couples who don’t have a destination in mind and just want us to drive them around the city while they cosy up to each other,” says Rahim Khan, who runs a dial-a-taxi service in the city and suburbs.
Then there are those who catch up on railway platforms during non-rush hours, never mind meddling beggars or curious shoe-shine boys. “There is very little privacy but it can’t be helped. Earlier we used to frequent Worli Seaface which we are avoiding these days fearing the police crackdown,” says collegian Soham Shah who now meets his girlfriend Shweta at Mahalaxmi railway station.
For all those doing the graveyard shift, the last train home is a good option for spending quality time with their beloved. “We take a late-night train from Malad to Churchgate and then take the last train back home,” says Borivili resident and call centre employee Rashmi Singh who insists that the two-hour train journey on a daily basis is the only time she gets to spend with her boyfriend Sameer.
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