composition on overcrowded buses.
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Once I was standing at the head of the queue and did not enter as the bus was over-crowded, when a friend came tearing from the rear. She almost forced me to board the bus telling me not to worry as somebody would give seats to us ladies.
Inside the bus, it was like the plight of packed sardines, which try to get out of the tin from its bottom. I had to move from the entrance to the exit, buy my ticket and that too in a bus which was not just packed to capacity but was not even meant for carrying standing passengers. In the process, many boots stepped on my shoes and I too trod on many boots.
Twice I found myself in very uncomfortable positions. Once, because a co-passenger tried to relieve his sufferings by smoking. Unable to bear the smoke, I moved away quickly. Believe me, it was not that easy. From the frying pan to the fire was never truer than in this case. I found myself next to a stinking man. I moved again.
Fortunately my friend’s prediction came true. A young man knight without armor offered me his seat near the exit. My misery came to an end. I resolved never again to travel by an overcrowded bus.
Public transport is the cheapest and has therefore, always been popular with the masses. The rise in the number of commuters has led to overcrowding in buses on busy routes.
A journey in an overcrowded bus can be a harrowing experience, as I recently found out to my great dismay. It was the rush hour with people returning from their offices or places of work, I somehow managed to push and jostle my way into the bus inside, people were packed like sardines and the searing heat made the atmosphere unbearable.
Twice the number of the people seated on the benches was standing wherever they could. Their hands were firmly holding the long steel rod or some other thing for support. It was difficult to move, to stretch one’s limbs or to take out money from the pocket to buy the ticket. But the conductor seemed to be an expert and sold tickets by moving through the crowd with amazing agility and skill.All were badly perspiring, children were crying inconsolably and women were shouting loudly. Even in this suffocating atmosphere a few passengers couldn’t resist smoking. One child vomited right on his seat. Somebody’s toes were trodden upon and he began to utter curses. Noisy arguments began to be heard in all comers, but the jam-packed bus didn’t allow the people to come to blows.
A few pockets were picked but, ironically, the pickpocket was unable to get down and was caught almost immediately. It was a miracle that the passengers were managing to get down at their respective stops, but more passengers were getting into the bus at each stop. I missed my stop and when I finally got down, I heaved a sigh of relief.