Rahul J asked:
Im an American staying in India for 3months. I’ve been traveling around just for the hell of it, making no plans in advance. So as expected, I’d have to commute in the General Compartment on the trains (since reservations need to be made in advance). When I boarded an intercity Hyderabad, with enormous difficulty (crows are crazy there), I saw something peculiar. Most of the seats had a handkerchief on it. I was stunned, since I didn’t really see anyone getting off the train, so where could all those people who had supposedly left the handkerchief have disappear to! I stood there for a while, being shoved front and back. I noticed that even the seats with the handkerchief were being filled, so I too sat on one of those seats. Then there was a small dark guy going around collecting money from everyone who sat on a handkerchiefed seat. When he came to me, he was talking in Telugu, and couldn’t understand a word of English or Hindi. I was asking him why I should pay for it. My Hindi isn’t too great either, so I couldn’t really ask the people around me. That little dude got frustrated at me not paying, so went off to another carriage. I thought that was it. Minutes later, he came back with 6 other guys, who were not so small! Since I wasn’t a local there, I decided its probably best to pay up..I gave in 10 rupees. Not much I know..but it seemed like fraud to me, which is why I was furious. What do you think?
PS: I already bought a ticket. And that dude wasn’t a ticket inspector either.
Im an American staying in India for 3months. I’ve been traveling around just for the hell of it, making no plans in advance. So as expected, I’d have to commute in the General Compartment on the trains (since reservations need to be made in advance). When I boarded an intercity Hyderabad, with enormous difficulty (crows are crazy there), I saw something peculiar. Most of the seats had a handkerchief on it. I was stunned, since I didn’t really see anyone getting off the train, so where could all those people who had supposedly left the handkerchief have disappear to! I stood there for a while, being shoved front and back. I noticed that even the seats with the handkerchief were being filled, so I too sat on one of those seats. Then there was a small dark guy going around collecting money from everyone who sat on a handkerchiefed seat. When he came to me, he was talking in Telugu, and couldn’t understand a word of English or Hindi. I was asking him why I should pay for it. My Hindi isn’t too great either, so I couldn’t really ask the people around me. That little dude got frustrated at me not paying, so went off to another carriage. I thought that was it. Minutes later, he came back with 6 other guys, who were not so small! Since I wasn’t a local there, I decided its probably best to pay up..I gave in 10 rupees. Not much I know..but it seemed like fraud to me, which is why I was furious. What do you think?
PS: I already bought a ticket. And that dude wasn’t a ticket inspector either.