Sweet little kids in local trains

Or should I say little bundles of joy! The other day I was returning home after a hectic schedule. It was around 5 in the evening when I boarded a local train from CST station to reach Vashi. I was so tired, I just wanted the time to fly by. And then, a toddler comfortably seated in his mom’s arms beside me, started playing with my hands. He would smile and wave at me, touch my palms with his tiny fingers and cutely smile when I’d tickle him. He even offered me a pink handkerchief he was holding as a toy. He so made my day! I now wanted the time to slow down ;)

A few stations before Vashi, I decided to stand by the door and enjoy the breeze. And then, another toddler seated right behind me started tickling me! As if the previous one told him to do so after I tickled him. You should have seen the child’s naughty smile whenever I turned to look at him.

These little kids surely make our day with their cute and innocent acts and make us wonder why are we so stressed out in life! What do you think?

Read More

Good Samaritans in Mumbai local trains

This is your blog post!

That's right. I've spoken a lot in this blog. Now it's your turn. How often it happens we come across a stranger who helps us in the smallest possible way in a Mumbai local train and before we can even see the good Samaritan's face, he / she disappears in thin air!

Well, this is your chance to thank the person... who knows the good soul might be reading this! Inviting you to share any good deed in the Mumbai local trains... a person offering you a seat, someone just giving you a smile on a dull day, someone helping you alight from the train when you give up all hope...For instance, I was trying to board a Vashi local last week with a heavy suitcase. This guy saw how inconvenient it was for me and helped me out. It made my day after a super hectic traveling schedule!

So what are you waiting for? Pen your small / big experiences in the comments section and I'll update it on this blog post (of course, with a link to your blog... in case the person you are thanking needs to say "welcome"!)

And here you go!

Mumbai Paused (hope the link is right): "I once passed out on a very crowded peak hour Malad to CGate fast. I don't remember much but I was offered place to sit and drinking water materialised out of thin air. And I was allowed easy passage out at Mum Central." 

Niket: I don't understand how the Mumbaikars failed to comment on this one... This incident happened with me when I was traveling in the 2nd class compartment toward Borivali during the peak hour and this man literally sneezed on my back and by the time I turned, everyone was staring at me (instead of at the person who sneezed). Anyways, my sincere vote of thanks to that ill mannered rustic creature! And now you would wonder what the hell on earth has pricked my grey matter that here I am thanking a prick who should have received a good sounding instead. Imagine, a friend of mine was actually sneezed at, RIGHT ON HIS FACE! hahaha...

Ozymandias: And this I heard in the train yesterday. A passenger sitting by me suddenly addressed another one sitting nearby.

P1: "Friday maine dekha tha tumko." (I saw you on Friday) P2: Hmmm P1: Tum peeke gutter mein pade the...(You were drunk and lying in the gutter) P2: Haan...(Yes...) P1: Aaj sab theek hai? (Is everything alright today?)

And I said to myself, "Wow". Either P1 respected that P2 was a mature adult who could be expected to take care of himself and know good and bad; and yet respected him as an individual and equal OR P2 was such a callous person that he would let his friend rot in the gutter as he passed by, and then insensitively raise the issue next day! Humans never fail to surprise! 

Read More

What do Mumbai local train commuters feel like singing today?

Mumbai local train services are severely affected as the motormen strike continues even today. So what songs do Mumbai local train commuters feel like singing while waiting for the trains today?

1. Main toh kab se khadi is paar, ye akhiyaan thakk gayi panth nihaar... aa ja re...
2. Tu chupi hai kahaan, main tadaptaa yahaan
3. Aaja aaja main hoon pyaar tera... aa aa aa aaja.. aa aa aa aaja... aa aa aa aaja... aa aa aah
4. Jag soona soona laage...
5. Aaja ve mahi tera rasta ho dekh diya
6. Tere bin main yun kaise jiya, kaise jiya tere bin...
7. Bin tere sanam mar mitengey hum, aa meri zindagi... 
8. Aao Na... Aao Na... Aao Na...

By the way, here's the blog post about the motormen strike. You can check out the right hand side column of this page for live twitter updates and status of the motormen strike

Read More

Selling, buying, throwing oranges in trains

Chubhti, jalti garmi ka mausam aaya,
Aaya mausam taaze taaze oranges ka

Sweltering heat makes commuting all the more tedious. But hawkers in Mumbai local trains know how to make the most of it. "Dus ka dus" echoes in the trains during non-peak hours and our heads turn towards the voice. This dus ka dus however has nothing to do with the famous dus-dus ki daud challenge thrown at Aamir Khan in Ghulam. This is the super reasonable cost of oranges being sold in baskets in the Mumbai local trains' ladies compartments.

Read More

You know you are in a Mumbai local train when...

I recently read an interesting post on Mumbai. Though I had earlier written a few posts on the kind of commuters you come across in Mumbai local trains, I was inspired to pen something new now. So here I go:

You are a smart and sensible Mumbai Local Train commuter when you know that:

1. Asking strangers at which station they intend to get off is nothing to feel shy about
2. Booking a seat in advance in a Virar local is proving you are smart
3. Asking for a 'fourth seat' in a first class gents compartment is a crime
4. Not reaching near the door (towards your left hand side) until Andheri approaches, when you have to get off at Goregaon, is sheer stupidity
5. Tying up / covering your curly / long hair will avoid commuters standing just behind you to ask you from doing so

Read More