When in Delhi NCR (why hate it)

I stayed in Noida for almost 4 years till 2007. In those 4 years of stay I witnessed everyday almost all types of non sense on roads, inside private blue line buses , slow moving DTC buses, on my way to office, pickpockets roaming in buses , local markets , shoes lifter in all temples , lady beggar cum ladies purse lifters etc. No need to mention that I hated Delhi & NCR then and I still stand firm by my statement. Delhi & NCR are one of the worst places to live in India at least if you belong to middle class and are not always travelling in closed AC Cars and you have servants to interact with the locals. Everybody on road lacks basic sense of talking; social manners; they are abusive , loud , forget politeness or courteous or helpful behavior. Not to forget it’s dirty and filth everywhere. Strange to see it’s the home to the President of India, who never walks outside of his estate. But still it’s the National capital, it’s a Union territory and it’s a state by itself, lets forget it , everyone's sleeping.

I went to my home town this July. Unfortunately I have to go via Delhi as it’s the only airport on my way where Bangalore has one direct flight. I got down at the Airport, realized that Airport Express metro line has been shut down. This metro line connects IGI Airport to Delhi Railways station and covers the distance in just 18 minutes; otherwise this can be a 2 hours deal on road. This was one recent thing I liked in Delhi until I heard about the faulty clamps which were meant to derail the metro in time.

Anyways, I not just hate but 'm also afraid of travelling in auto rickshaw in Delhi. You never know when you will fall prey to such one robber’s gang while traveling by auto, you will come to your sense only after one or two days just in your Jockey at Nizzamudin railways station or around Lal quila with other fellow druggers (नशेड़ी), with nothing at all with you.

Because there was no express metro, I didn’t see any DTC bus to ISBT either I asked one autowala if he will go till the main road just outside Delhi airport premises, the distance is around 3 kms. I was thinking, from there I can catch a bus to ISBT. He replied 80Rs, see for 3 KMS he said 80 rupees. I saw one, 2 starred sub inspector standing there (Delhi Police); I went to him and told him that this auto is asking for 80Rs just for 3 KMS , should he not intervene. He shouted at the autowala :abey lek ke Jata kun nahi (Why don’t you go, he is asking for ?) Autowala replied , chalo ji 100Rs lagengey (lets go, fare is 100 rupees ). I laughed, police man looked even more dangerous.

I reached ISBT in around one hour. There I found that UP-Meerut- Uttrakhand buses are operating from Anand Vihar bus station, so I took another DTC bus till Anand Vihar. It was a July afternoon, very sunny and humid. I didn’t find any UP or UttraKhand buses to Haridwar, I actually didn’t see any seats, they were either overly crowded or standing stale. I was continuously hearing tens of voices from private bus operator’s pitchers about AC buses to Haridwar-Meerut –Dehradun. One old man realized it and walked to me, said there is an AC bus just ready to go, waiting outside the bus station, only 350RS per seat. I don’t know why but I got convinced by him and his old looks and asked him about the bus and available seats, probably this was the first time I was getting into some trap I thought.

After some walk, I found the bus; it looked okay from outside, dark window panes it did look like an AC bus. I gave 350 Rs to one very fat, ugly looking person, in return he gave me a fake looking ticket where nothing was mentioned, he signed it but that was just a stupid act. This ticket can nowhere be produced as a  proof that you have actually paid the money to that fat ugly man , it didn’t have a seat number mentioned  not even a bus number.


I walked closed to the bus, holding my bags in my hands , one teenage kid who belonged to the bus may be a cleaner/conductor asked me for 20 rupees to keep my luggage inside bus. I shouted what ? ? I just paid 350 rs for my ticket and now you are asking for 20 Rs for luggage’s safety. I turned back but the person/agent who trapped/convinced me to travel in this bus got disappeared in the crowd. I felt utterly cheated. I didn’t pay 20 . I looked at the bus from its front, it was a “Semi Volvo Deluxe bus”, what the hell is semi Volvo I said to myself and I went inside, found it to be filled with filthy looking people (if you have travelled on those Delhi-Meerut roads you know what I am saying), they all  too looked cheated , sweating , further there were no seats at the front. I fortunately found one at the second last row. Helpless me, I landed there cursed myself for getting carried away by that agent’s promises didn’t realized that I was in Delhi. I believed whatever he sang.

The bus finally started after 45 minutes. It was a total mess from inside, seats were dirty, curtains were stinking, forget any cushions, no hand rests and no push back seats were operable. Because of bus’s excessive suspension at the rear side, in another 30 minutes back rest of a seat just in front of mine broke down which finally made me laugh , I was thinking about India and its Capital city...

Push back rest - before

After

bus aile

~bd