Me Myself & Monica

The "BEST" Experience

I leaned precariously on the red coarsely plastered length of wall that made up the front perimeter of the Bamandaya bus stop waiting for my Bus.no:443 to come. A bespectacled man nudges his elbow into my upper torso as he turns the crumpled pages of his morning newspaper. I ignore him and look around me.

People around me are engrossed in various activities;
like my neighbour here - who is staring open mouthed at today’s Mid-day mate.
Or the giggling girls on the pavement behind me chirping about some song they like on the radio as they band their heads together and share a pair of earphones.
The middle aged lady in a green sari is juggling linen bags from one hand to another as her shoulders sway till she decides to balance them on her chappals.
A line of rickshaws wait patiently and the rickshaw-wallahs peer out at the crowd with a strange longing, trying to make eye contact.
I too stand there patiently but my mood quickly turns belligerent as beads of sweat appear on my brow.
All the morning freshness is gone.

When mumbai's pleasant weather dissolves into its usual hot and sultry experience. Oh well that’s life at a bus stop: far more relaxed than a railway station but then again the busis a far more relaxed medium on the whole.

Red, rectangular, robust, Leyland, clad in iron and steel and adorned with advertisements peddling some form of life insurance, the bus arrives.
I clamber on steadily and before the dust is allowed to settle a bell tinkles and with a jerk we are off. Lucky if i get a seat and if not "take it easy monica".

It is hard to balance a bag on your left shoulder, hold on for you life with your right and maneuver the four rupees and fifty paisa required out of your purse. But then again with practice things become easier.
"Ek Chakala".. I shout to conductor as he approches.Its almost four months now i have been travelling in 443 ...Bus no: 443 and most of the conductor now knows me..so for some just punch the ticket..before i ask for. Most of the days are luckier when i get a seat to sit ... atleast that gives me a time to read my Mumbai Mirror and taking the glimpses of the Andheri Kurla road. It takes 20 mins to reach chakala if the traffic is not much..but can even take 1.30 hrs if the traffic is worst. But i have all mediums to cut the time newspaper, novel , FM Radio.. what else !!!!

Me having not used of travelling in the buses...travelling in the BEST buses was not again a easy stuff.But then nothing is so tough either. All you domsels who are scared of travelling in best buses ... jst read the below lil points to make your BEST bus journey the best one.

--Always make sure that you sit on the ladies seat , if the bus is empty. So that it makes sure that the person sitting next to you would be a lady too and not a man ..who will be rumbing his thighs to you and making himself comfortable. Always prefer to sit on the ladies seat.

--If not place to sit ..do not stand in the later half of the bus.Come to the seat no: 2 or 3 that is the seat of senior citizen and ladies, stand near those seats.

-- Do not hold the railing on the top of the bus to balance yourself, instead hold the railing of the seats..This wont give the passenger back sitted to give chance to discuss your statistics.

-- Keep your hands free..dont carry a mobile , book ,etc...instead keep everything in the bag and keep your hands free.

-- Always keep your foot firm , you never know when you get the "BEST" jerk.

-- If the person standing next to you , is getting comfortable with you, just look at him with the err and little widen your eyes at him. and then start looking for conductor..pretending you want to call a conductor to report him.. (believe me this really works). Still if he continues ... jst make your move to the front gate of the bus..pretending that you want to get down at the next stop..there is no point in making a fist and spoiling your day.

-- Always remember the person sitting or standing next to you is a stranger. You do not come in bus to get socialize.

So just the little thing to ponder.. the bus journey in mumbai is the "BEST".

posted by Monica @ 1:29 AM