Though I am not a great believer in sequels, I am hereby forced to call this new post of mine as 'Thoda Adjust Karo na-Part 2'.As in Part1, this again is related to a journey of mine or in fact the preparations for a journey.For someone like me who loves travelling, there are various hardships in store when the travel is not decided at least an year ago and the tickets not booked months back.
I decided to go to my home-town a couple of weeks back and since there were only two weeks from the journey date by the time I decided, tickets were not available in any classes in any of the trains. Moreover, it was a Friday night, which I chose to travel, which implied that I won't get tickets anyways unless I booked by 8:01 am IST on the day when the train reservation opens for that day. I, then browsed through a list of buses in one of the many bus ticket booking vendors and booked an A/C berth in one of the famous travels in South India. I thought I was lucky to have got ticket in this bus, which was always punctual, was rated 5 out of 5 by more than 100 users and more than all these, I could board the bus at a stone's throw from my home meaning that I won't have to travel light years that too at the speed of a snail in the never ending bottle-necked traffic signals of Chennai to get to the bus stand and then start my 12 hr long journey home.
'Aasai yaarai vittadhu!!'- This is a famous verse in Tamil telling that no human in this world is devoid of desires. I was no exception .I was waiting for 'the day' and it came. I got ready early in the morning, had my breakfast by 9 itself, went to the temple near my home, offered archana to the presiding deity,checked the astrology section in my newspaper, and sat before my computer by 9:45 am in a bid to book Tatkal ticket for my journey, the next day.After some 30 minutes of slogging in the irctc website, I realized, lightweight or heavy weight or feather weight, this site would behave in the same way.After yet an another failed bid to book a tatkal ticket, I was not greatly disappointed as I already had a bus ticket with me for the journey.
On the next day, I learnt from the bus operator, that I would be picked up from my boarding point in an A/c cab aka van and taken to the bus stand and I would board my bus from there only.'Hmmm! ok!' was my response to him over the phone. I was actually not amused by this proposal. Anyways,I had to agree.As suggested by the ratings, the cab arrived sharply on time and I got a seat near the door itself. When the cab started moving, I realized that something was wrong as I was able to see many glum faces. I then understood that the A/c was not functioning in the cab. Though I was getting sufficient oxygen through the open door, I tried opening the window near me and found that the windows were not openeable, since this cab was meant to be run only as an A/c cab and hence none of the windows were openeable in the 12 seater .By this time, some 4-5 exhausted fellow passengers had started a war of words with the driver arguing over this. There were small kids and people argued that they would get suffocated in this 1 hr journey as there were no windows or air circulation in the van . The driver, as expected didn't seem to listen to these arguments. It looked as if he should be listening to these stuffs day in and day out and was focused only on his work at hand to reach the bus stand asap.
Irritated by his passive responses, the passengers demanded him to dial his manager and tell that the bus had been stopped in the middle by the travelers and they would continue travelling only if an alternative transport was arranged for them. We didn't know whether he actually dialed the manager, but he replied that he was not picking the call. Someone suddenly spotted a helpline number of the travels pasted at the corner of the van with the below words 'For any complaints/assistance, please reach out to the chairman at this number 24*7'. People then started blackmailing the driver that they would inform the chairman at that number if he didn't provide a responsible answer. He didn't seem interested in that. His response was like 'Fire me if you can!!'. When the helpline number was dialed, a cute lady told (the lady must be cute going by her voice.Intuition! :) ) that the number was non-functional. No wonder, the driver was unperturbed by our words.
With no Plan B or C or X with us, everyone was angry and that meant no options came across our mind. Then, All of a sudden, the driver pulled up the vehicle as demanded by the passengers. He then gave his supervisor's number to the leader of the passengers.We, humans especially Indians can't live/argue/cry without having a leader for us .Understanding this, a T-shirt wala emerged as the leader of the pack and was commanding this quarrel.He was literally shivering with anger and his voice was so loud than others making him an unanimous leader choice :P. He was able to reach the supervisor and was very animated in his conversation. After hanging up the call, the leader informed us that the supervisor was very abusive, told that they could not provide alternative transport and also warned that the bus wouldn't wait for the passengers in the van and asked to reach the bus stand in our own means. That was a purely irresponsible statement from the travels management.
There were voices murmuring 'Enna Anyayam idhu??(Height of injustice)'. The driver then got a call and he gave his phone to the 'leader' telling that the manager was in the line. This time, the T-shirt wala started very animatedly and by the time he ended the call, he looked convinced. 'Phew!Looks like we have won!' , one passenger told in the dark.The leader came and told that the manager had apologized for this inconvenience and requested us all to 'adjust' with the van and reach the bus stand.
What looked like a '9 pm argument in our news channels where everyone were showing off the strength of the vocal chords and never using their ears' suddenly looked like an ipl auction table, with everyone whispering and muttering. The leader then broke the ice telling that we would have to adjust and it would not be tough as we just had to travel 7 more kms. Sincerely obeying him, everyone got into the bus . I stayed back and he told me that after talking to the manager, he learnt that he too was helpless and he requested us to adjust. "We can think the next 7 kms as a journey in a crowded Chennai MTC bus and adjust. There is no other transport which can take us to the bus stand to reach in time for the bus. Its not time to argue. We can talk to them at their office in bus stand.Lets get in!" was what he told and pushed me in.
Though not convinced by those words, I got in and sat at my seat near the door and the driver started the van. By the time, the van reached the travels' office, the T-shirt wala got down at the gate itself stating he had to get his dinner and he disappeared. I immediately recognized that was an excuse to not talk/argue after reaching the office. 'Barking ... seldom bite', I thought. As soon as we reached the office, people started getting down and I found everyone walking in the direction opposite to the office. With a smirk on my face, thinking about others, I walked in to the manager's room and he, after listening to me told that they were sorry and helpless as the van had developed a fault with the a/c after it left for the pickup and there were no alternative vehicles. I expressed my disappointment and when I was about to leave, the manager had got a call. He was seen telling, "Sorry Ma'm! The A/c was working when the van left our garage and it looks like it developed a snag somewhere in the middle. Maaf kejiye. Thod adjust karo aur aap yaha aa pahunchiye!(Sorry. Please adjust and reach the bus stand for now)". I quickly understood that the call was about the same van which left for its next pickup and it was the same 'Adjust karo' dialogue and walked towards my bus thinking 'Now, that is a 5/5' . Isn't it?
I decided to go to my home-town a couple of weeks back and since there were only two weeks from the journey date by the time I decided, tickets were not available in any classes in any of the trains. Moreover, it was a Friday night, which I chose to travel, which implied that I won't get tickets anyways unless I booked by 8:01 am IST on the day when the train reservation opens for that day. I, then browsed through a list of buses in one of the many bus ticket booking vendors and booked an A/C berth in one of the famous travels in South India. I thought I was lucky to have got ticket in this bus, which was always punctual, was rated 5 out of 5 by more than 100 users and more than all these, I could board the bus at a stone's throw from my home meaning that I won't have to travel light years that too at the speed of a snail in the never ending bottle-necked traffic signals of Chennai to get to the bus stand and then start my 12 hr long journey home.
'Aasai yaarai vittadhu!!'- This is a famous verse in Tamil telling that no human in this world is devoid of desires. I was no exception .I was waiting for 'the day' and it came. I got ready early in the morning, had my breakfast by 9 itself, went to the temple near my home, offered archana to the presiding deity,checked the astrology section in my newspaper, and sat before my computer by 9:45 am in a bid to book Tatkal ticket for my journey, the next day.After some 30 minutes of slogging in the irctc website, I realized, lightweight or heavy weight or feather weight, this site would behave in the same way.After yet an another failed bid to book a tatkal ticket, I was not greatly disappointed as I already had a bus ticket with me for the journey.
On the next day, I learnt from the bus operator, that I would be picked up from my boarding point in an A/c cab aka van and taken to the bus stand and I would board my bus from there only.'Hmmm! ok!' was my response to him over the phone. I was actually not amused by this proposal. Anyways,I had to agree.As suggested by the ratings, the cab arrived sharply on time and I got a seat near the door itself. When the cab started moving, I realized that something was wrong as I was able to see many glum faces. I then understood that the A/c was not functioning in the cab. Though I was getting sufficient oxygen through the open door, I tried opening the window near me and found that the windows were not openeable, since this cab was meant to be run only as an A/c cab and hence none of the windows were openeable in the 12 seater .By this time, some 4-5 exhausted fellow passengers had started a war of words with the driver arguing over this. There were small kids and people argued that they would get suffocated in this 1 hr journey as there were no windows or air circulation in the van . The driver, as expected didn't seem to listen to these arguments. It looked as if he should be listening to these stuffs day in and day out and was focused only on his work at hand to reach the bus stand asap.
Irritated by his passive responses, the passengers demanded him to dial his manager and tell that the bus had been stopped in the middle by the travelers and they would continue travelling only if an alternative transport was arranged for them. We didn't know whether he actually dialed the manager, but he replied that he was not picking the call. Someone suddenly spotted a helpline number of the travels pasted at the corner of the van with the below words 'For any complaints/assistance, please reach out to the chairman at this number 24*7'. People then started blackmailing the driver that they would inform the chairman at that number if he didn't provide a responsible answer. He didn't seem interested in that. His response was like 'Fire me if you can!!'. When the helpline number was dialed, a cute lady told (the lady must be cute going by her voice.Intuition! :) ) that the number was non-functional. No wonder, the driver was unperturbed by our words.
With no Plan B or C or X with us, everyone was angry and that meant no options came across our mind. Then, All of a sudden, the driver pulled up the vehicle as demanded by the passengers. He then gave his supervisor's number to the leader of the passengers.We, humans especially Indians can't live/argue/cry without having a leader for us .Understanding this, a T-shirt wala emerged as the leader of the pack and was commanding this quarrel.He was literally shivering with anger and his voice was so loud than others making him an unanimous leader choice :P. He was able to reach the supervisor and was very animated in his conversation. After hanging up the call, the leader informed us that the supervisor was very abusive, told that they could not provide alternative transport and also warned that the bus wouldn't wait for the passengers in the van and asked to reach the bus stand in our own means. That was a purely irresponsible statement from the travels management.
There were voices murmuring 'Enna Anyayam idhu??(Height of injustice)'. The driver then got a call and he gave his phone to the 'leader' telling that the manager was in the line. This time, the T-shirt wala started very animatedly and by the time he ended the call, he looked convinced. 'Phew!Looks like we have won!' , one passenger told in the dark.The leader came and told that the manager had apologized for this inconvenience and requested us all to 'adjust' with the van and reach the bus stand.
What looked like a '9 pm argument in our news channels where everyone were showing off the strength of the vocal chords and never using their ears' suddenly looked like an ipl auction table, with everyone whispering and muttering. The leader then broke the ice telling that we would have to adjust and it would not be tough as we just had to travel 7 more kms. Sincerely obeying him, everyone got into the bus . I stayed back and he told me that after talking to the manager, he learnt that he too was helpless and he requested us to adjust. "We can think the next 7 kms as a journey in a crowded Chennai MTC bus and adjust. There is no other transport which can take us to the bus stand to reach in time for the bus. Its not time to argue. We can talk to them at their office in bus stand.Lets get in!" was what he told and pushed me in.
Though not convinced by those words, I got in and sat at my seat near the door and the driver started the van. By the time, the van reached the travels' office, the T-shirt wala got down at the gate itself stating he had to get his dinner and he disappeared. I immediately recognized that was an excuse to not talk/argue after reaching the office. 'Barking ... seldom bite', I thought. As soon as we reached the office, people started getting down and I found everyone walking in the direction opposite to the office. With a smirk on my face, thinking about others, I walked in to the manager's room and he, after listening to me told that they were sorry and helpless as the van had developed a fault with the a/c after it left for the pickup and there were no alternative vehicles. I expressed my disappointment and when I was about to leave, the manager had got a call. He was seen telling, "Sorry Ma'm! The A/c was working when the van left our garage and it looks like it developed a snag somewhere in the middle. Maaf kejiye. Thod adjust karo aur aap yaha aa pahunchiye!(Sorry. Please adjust and reach the bus stand for now)". I quickly understood that the call was about the same van which left for its next pickup and it was the same 'Adjust karo' dialogue and walked towards my bus thinking 'Now, that is a 5/5' . Isn't it?
