When London became India: City Tubes

Enter any tube (underground train) in London during the peak hours and the number of commuters is nothing less than in any over populated country. But, there is one thing distinct about the people here, every passenger gives you enough space, I mean both literally and physically. Unlike the hand kerchief policy (very common in India) where people first throw a piece of cloth on a seat and jump on it the next moment; co-passengers here often offer the seat first to you and occupy it only after you have declined it. Well, why does this not happen in India? Not to deny, girls do give up their seats in local buses to old, disabled or pregnant women, but why is it not a common site? I discovered a few reason for it: First, journeys in India are often long, especially in traffic clogged cities such as Bangalore, so people prefer sitting that hanging on to roof straps. Secondly, you have the bus category men; trust me that is the term used (with no offence to people using buses) for men who are desperate and derive pleasure in bullying women passengers. Thus, it is safer to be seated, which also reduces the chances of being pick-pocketed.

Every time I got into a London bus I wished the scenario could replicate itself even in India, until that one day that changed my opinion. A tube strike was announced due to industrial action and left hundreds of people stranded on streets. I was one amongst them waiting at the bus stop to board a bus. And to my surprise, I saw people pushing each other and barging into buses, even through the rear doors (which are only used for exit). Well, these were the same respected commuters who travelled in dignity yesterday! And then I realised, its not people who are different here, but it’s just the system. Democracy says, citizens make rules, but in reality it’s the government who makes it. Given a great the infrastructure with frequent and efficient public transport, India would be London too, just as the same way being deprived of tubes, London became India for a day.