There goes your lower berth!!
You know what's very weird about one's name. It is the most coveted possession of yours and yet it is others who use it more than you. I wonder if same kind of weirdness can be attached to the lower berths in trains in India. I have observed that people who are in the age-group of 20-45 and more so if they are men, they automatically forfeit their right to lower berths even if Indian railways allots them one. I have been an victim and an observer to others getting victimised many a times to this unwritten law. The law that young men (and some women) are hereby ordered to give up their lower berths to any person who demands for it.
Let me list some people who assume that they can ask anybody for lower berths.
1) Old and not so actually old (but visibly old) people (people above age of fifty).
2) Fat women even in their early forties (Should i be the victim of their uncontrolled diet and other reasons).
3) Diabetics (why can't they just get down each time. That exercise will do them good).
4) Old men with cute daughters (You become a victim of your own chivalry). Its gone the moment you see the girl.
5) Young woman with infant (Small sacrifice that you do for the next generation). The husband looks at you as if it is your duty to help him raise his kid. No wonder somebody said, "It takes a village to raise a kid". In this case it is the train compartment cos the whole compartment is going to suffer the high-pitched midnight celebrations of the infant.
6) This one is a personal experience. Recently an Indian couple with an American lady came and sat next to me. I had a lower berth. The Indian host said, "She is from America and has never travelled in crowded Indian trains. We should be good hosts to our guests. Can you give up your lower berth?" WTF nearly popped out of my mouth. I managed to give a sarcastic smile, nodded negatively and looked away. And the whole journey that fellow was looking at me as if I am enjoying a privilege that is nearly criminal.
Do you have any similar anecdote?
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posted by RKVS Raman @ 6:22 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Normally you have the option of mentioning your berth choice during reservation, and it works. I do not understand why people do not use it. Usually I prefer the topmost berth - but that is because I tend to sleep throughout the journey. However, I think it is OK if senior citizens ask for the lower berth - and probably their should be some sort of algorithm in the booking software which prioritizes the lower berth choice if age >= 60.
I had a similar experience on a plane once. I was returning from England via Dubai, and at Dubai, I was in the middle row, aisle seat. The lady who was sitting beside me suddenly asked me if she could switch places with me. Normally I would have obliged, but somehow I was in a grumpy mood that day and politely said no. The next thing she did was to fish out her cellphone from her bag, call up her husband, and the conversation went like "Darling, please do not let agent X book my tickets again. My seat sucks, and the horrible people sitting beside me wouldn't exchange their seats" (she had also asked the lady who was sitting on the other side of the middle row) I almost went WTF, but restrained myself, and politely told her, "If I may say so, your agent is not the person who usually chooses the seat. You can easily ask for an aisle seat during check-in, or to be doubly sure, you can choose it well in advance online"
That however, did not stop her from mumbling and grumbling and silently cursing me for the rest of the flight :-).
Very true, really this is something that every one experiences...
1 more common expectation frm persons who are traveling alone is "exchange your seat with their friend/relative who is in other boogie" :)
Being a frequent train traveler, traveling alone, people often ask me to exchange my seat with other family members in another boogie. Some don't even hesitate to wake me up.
Once in a train where there were sitting chairs, a dad asked me to give up my window seat for his kid. When I refused he was annoyed. I often wonder if these people are so choosy why don't they hire a car.
Nice one. I must admit that I have had similar experiences. I also remember once they made me switch from S3 to Ex-2 nearly 10 coaches and the rest of journey I repented as even the railway people also rarely reached there, and I had to go to the pantry to search for water bottles.
Well recently I too experienced this.. I was on the upper berth which I usually prefer just to avoid seat sharing but unfortunately I was asked to share this upper berth too. I was travelling from kachiguda to my home town Hubli by a Vasco train. There was a group of friends who had thier seats all over the boggie. A guy came to me and asked to switch to a different seat somwhere in the middle of the boggie. I didnt want to leave my seat but still I left and went behind him to board my new seat. But as I went there and placed my luggage on the seat there I saw a family who had occupied the other 5 seats. I was happy to be in this new seat of mine cos I could see 2 beautiful girls in that family. But to my bad luck the head of that family came in and said that this seat is already shared by someone else. The guy took me to another seat and again after placing all my luggage there I heard some one saying that this place is already reserved to some other guy.. That was the moment I got pissed off and started shouting at them. Then I calmed myself and asked him to show a correct place otherwise I would go and occupy my place which I had reserved.
The upper-most berths have their advantages too. Here are a few:
1. You can decide when to go to sleep.
2. You can rise at your will.
3. You wont find people tickling your feet early in the morning, asking for a seat.
4. You shall get an eagle's eyeview of the happenings in the bogie
These seat & luggage adjustments tested my patience so much that I ditched 3rd AC for 2nd AC. Once two passengers(one pretty girl and an elderly person) were quarreling for my berth.
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