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Tip 1:
ookout for ladies selling oranges in the trains. Fairly cheap,safe (because of the peel) and effective (contributed by our site visitor Suranga Date)
Tip 3: Tie up your hair, you will feel and look cool in summers
Showing posts with label Tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tips. Show all posts
The 4th Seat Rules
4th Seat might be a non-existent term in the first class gents compartments of Mumbai local trains. However, in the general and ladies compartments the fourth seat means a lot. Also, there are quite some unspoken, unofficial rules and fundas surrounding the famed fourth seat. Let me take you through the list:
1 - It is the fourth seat occupant who sits sideways / occupies the least seat space. If two places are already occupied and you and a 'competition' aim for those, there's a simple rule. You can't occupy the 4th seat completely leaving negligible bum space for the third seat occupant. Firstly, it leaves three people sitting uncomfortably. Secondly, it results in blocking the standee space between two benches.
2 - The fourth seat occupant has to struggle a lot as people walk through the gangway. The knees are brushed and the feet can be stamped with many heels. If you are wearing a saree, God bless you coz the saree pleats can be spoiled.
3 - The fourth seat occupant gets the least ventilation in a crowded train.
4 - The fourth seat occupant can be subjected to holding the cardboard boxes when vendors selling accessories carry out their business in the trains.
5 - When window seat, second / third seat commuter gets up, it's the 'right' of fourth seatwaala to slide inside leaving the fourth seat vacant.
No one's going to penalize you if you do not follow these unofficial rules, but unless you want to invite nasty looks and arguments and unnecessary kichkich, you rather treat this as a guide when you travel by a Mumbai local train.
PS Nothing's official about all these points. It's just and attempt to make your commute peaceful and jhagdaafree!
1 - It is the fourth seat occupant who sits sideways / occupies the least seat space. If two places are already occupied and you and a 'competition' aim for those, there's a simple rule. You can't occupy the 4th seat completely leaving negligible bum space for the third seat occupant. Firstly, it leaves three people sitting uncomfortably. Secondly, it results in blocking the standee space between two benches.
2 - The fourth seat occupant has to struggle a lot as people walk through the gangway. The knees are brushed and the feet can be stamped with many heels. If you are wearing a saree, God bless you coz the saree pleats can be spoiled.
3 - The fourth seat occupant gets the least ventilation in a crowded train.
4 - The fourth seat occupant can be subjected to holding the cardboard boxes when vendors selling accessories carry out their business in the trains.
5 - When window seat, second / third seat commuter gets up, it's the 'right' of fourth seatwaala to slide inside leaving the fourth seat vacant.
No one's going to penalize you if you do not follow these unofficial rules, but unless you want to invite nasty looks and arguments and unnecessary kichkich, you rather treat this as a guide when you travel by a Mumbai local train.
PS Nothing's official about all these points. It's just and attempt to make your commute peaceful and jhagdaafree!
Beginners' Guide to Travelling in Mumbai Local Trains
Guest post by Blessen Varghese a.k.a. 'Mallu Mumbaikar':
1. Travel as light as possible with little or no luggage. If you do have a luggage, then make sure you also have your name on it or else some stranger might come to the happy realization that his great grandfather’s uncle’s brother-in-law had lost a similar bag/suitcase in 1936 and stake his claim over it.
2. Avoid peak hours, which would be, let me see… ahem… almost throughout the day! Basically, avoid traveling!
3. Make sure you are not allergic to the combination of sweet ‘aroma’ of oil, fish and sweat! If you are, constant traveling will make you get used to the same.
4. If you are a first-class traveler, then be sure to apologize for accidentally pushing or stepping on someone. If you are traveling by second-class, then be street smart and blame the ‘accident’ or ‘incident’ on the person standing behind you. Before doing this, make sure there IS a person standing behind you or else, you will be in big trouble.
5. Amongst all the good qualities that a Mumbaikar possesses, politeness is NOT one of them. So, if someone is hell bent on picking up an argument with you, be polite and remain as quiet as possible. Your attitude will surprise him. The guy that is picking up the argument might just have had a fight with his wife at home and may be removing it all on you!
6. If your station is just five stops away from the starting point, then don’t be dumb in trying to find a seat, for if you do, you may never be able to get off even after the tenth stop. Remain standing, and do so closer to the door that you will be getting off from! If you do not know which side your platform falls, then ask your co-passengers. But make sure the person you ask is not a mirror image of you yourself. You might just end up either on a wrong station or on the tracks, the latter being not a very exciting prospect!
7. If you are going to be a regular traveler, catching the same train and hoping onto the same compartment will help you make new friends. These guys will stand by you whenever there is an argument.
- As posted in Blessen Varghese's blog.
1. Travel as light as possible with little or no luggage. If you do have a luggage, then make sure you also have your name on it or else some stranger might come to the happy realization that his great grandfather’s uncle’s brother-in-law had lost a similar bag/suitcase in 1936 and stake his claim over it.
2. Avoid peak hours, which would be, let me see… ahem… almost throughout the day! Basically, avoid traveling!
3. Make sure you are not allergic to the combination of sweet ‘aroma’ of oil, fish and sweat! If you are, constant traveling will make you get used to the same.
5. Amongst all the good qualities that a Mumbaikar possesses, politeness is NOT one of them. So, if someone is hell bent on picking up an argument with you, be polite and remain as quiet as possible. Your attitude will surprise him. The guy that is picking up the argument might just have had a fight with his wife at home and may be removing it all on you!
6. If your station is just five stops away from the starting point, then don’t be dumb in trying to find a seat, for if you do, you may never be able to get off even after the tenth stop. Remain standing, and do so closer to the door that you will be getting off from! If you do not know which side your platform falls, then ask your co-passengers. But make sure the person you ask is not a mirror image of you yourself. You might just end up either on a wrong station or on the tracks, the latter being not a very exciting prospect!
7. If you are going to be a regular traveler, catching the same train and hoping onto the same compartment will help you make new friends. These guys will stand by you whenever there is an argument.
- As posted in Blessen Varghese's blog.
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:
You are a smart and sensible Mumbai Local Train commuter when you know that:
- Asking strangers at which station they intend to get off is nothing to feel shy about
- Booking a seat in advance in a Virar local is proving you are smart
- Asking for a 'fourth seat' in a first class gents compartment is a crime
- Not reaching near the door (towards your left hand side) until Andheri approaches, when you have to get off at Goregaon, is sheer stupidity
- Tying up / covering your curly / long hair will avoid commuters standing just behind you to ask you from doing so
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