delhi metro warns you about talking to strangers and forbids you from defacing property, sitting on the floor of the train, obstructing the shutting of doors, listening to music loudly, eating, drinking, smoking, occupying seats reserved for ladies etc., all of the latter being punishable offence.
in the course of my journeys on the metro I have seen passengers squatting on the floor of the train, obstructing the shutting of doors, eating, drinking (but to be sure, not smoking), listening to music loudly et al.
have seen the occasional brawl and flare-up and the rare kindness.
I have seen Chinese, Japanese, Senegalese, Turkish, german, English, Italian, American, French, afghan, this that and so many more and that is to say nothing of the jats, sardars, marwaris, marathis, odias, Bengalis, sikkimese, nagas, mizos, arunchalese, Bhutanese, Tibetans, myanmarese, Bangladeshis.
sometimes, of a sunday morning, I have ridden on a near-empty train. always on these rides, I feel the train is moving faster because it is lighter of the load of so many people. I don't know whether that is ever the case though.
mostly though, it is so crowded, it makes me claustrophobic and suffocated. but the gates open every few minutes at the stops and before I know it it is time for me to get off myself.
there is security everywhere on delhi metro armed to the teeth it appears to me and makes me feel that there can be some attack any moment and then they would start firing all their weapons which they caress silently on duty.
the personnel do elaborate frisking and scan of baggage at the station and sometimes the queues, invariably that for males, snake for 50m snaking and winding outside the station and on to the stairs leading up to what is called the concourse.
on these occasions the passengers complain but once I heard one of the personnel saying that they never grumble, they will frisk as many people as come to the station. although I have thought that it cannot be a very engaging occupation, especially for the cadre which is made up of mostly youths.
told them you're in the army, you're a para now and then, frisk the army of passengers.
for me. its a five minute walk to the metro station, but some people have to travel all the way to use the service. for these people, in many areas, there are metro cluster buses which will fetch from wherever to the metro station for a fee of Rs 5.
many people are thankful for the delhi metro. it has meant that there are so many fewer cars on the roads, which continue to be very choked, at peak hours at least. but then all that crowd on the metro has got to have helped in some way.
I have heard it said that the metro was the liberator of women in delhi. with its connectivity and the safety it assures, women feel good and comfortable about travelling on the metro. they have an entire compartment for themselves, women security and cctv eyes everywhere to make sure all is well with them.
some of the cctvs caught some women making out with some boys, but nothing untoward.
sometimes they use the metro to harass commuters. at anywhere in delhi, anywhere close to a metro station, if there is a public or political protest, then they will shut that metro station and refuse permission of entry or egress to it. that can send you on a spin before you reach your destination. but what do the metro people care. for public order is the biggest concern. that was why the metro was built in the first place. for the public to move orderly.
Idhoweb
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