Women Power, No Really! (Daily Commute #2)
Posted On September 11, 2017
Hello Readers! Welcome to the second post of Daily Commute! I thought I’d tell you a story about a Friday to kick start your Monday! So, this one’s about the Women compartment of the Indian Railways and what comes along with that — > Women Power!
Go ahead & read the fun!
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There I was, standing on the crowded Ghatkopar station, waiting for a train at 9:30 PM. It had been the longest & not to mention toughest day. But, finally it was a Friday so I was looking forward to the weekend to get some rest! But, there was still a lot of time for that as I still had to reach home. I was standing on the platform. I never know where exactly to stand. On the left or right of the door & so I end up standing in between the doors & land up boarding the train after everyone else, or sometimes get left behind. A lot of things were going through my mind… Work things.. Personal stuff.. Which book to read or TV show to binge.. Weekend plans: social meetups or hibernation? To be or not to be, as I call it!
I glanced at all the ladies around me. One girl was busy taking pictures of the moon. She sure had some great app on her phone that I ALMOST asked her which app was it. Another lady was busy keeping her kid from petting the street dog & also not losing him anywhere. Most 30-40 aged women were either on Whatsapp or Facebook browsing through stories or recipes while the younger population were on Instagram or Snapchat. But, almost everyone was hooked on their mobile phones, like it was mandatory! I felt estranged & took out my phone, just because!!! Can you imagine!
Soon, I realised, I had been waiting for the train for over 10 minutes! It had become too crowded by then & given my little experience of public transport, I became irritated & began to lose my patience. It felt like I’ll have to leave that train & that meant postponing weekend for more minutes!
After some time, the train was there! I don’t know how, but this time, I was standing exactly at the proper spot & even if I wouldn’t have wanted to get in, all the women pushed me in any way! So, somehow, I got in on a Kalyan train (which is the MOST crowded train, in my opinion.) Inside, it was so chaotic, I got inside & just chose to stand, giving up my hopes & dreams to ever get a seat. And the thing is about 90% people go on asking people with seats where they are getting down & I HATEto do that. I’d rather stand than do that. Call it stupid, but whatever, times are not that worse! I wondered how do these elder women travel 1 or 2 hours by train standing up, when I can’t do it for 20 minutes! Some of them are such professionals! They immediately understand novices like me & I almost laugh about it like, “Okay woman, you got me there, now don’t make me ask you for your seat! Give it to me instead of some other professional commuter!”
Now, I am all in for feminism & all the way #WomenPower , but this women power, in trains is at a different level!
If you stand at the door when you don’t want to get down at the next stop,
you’ll know what’s Women Power!!
If you sit when someone leaves & they’ve offered it to someone else prior,
you’ll know what’s Women Power!!
If you don’t shift & give someone space for that fourth seat, boy,
you’ll know what’s Women Power!!
All Indians out there, is it similar with you? Or have you gotten used to the hustle & bustle of Mumbai life?
About The Author
Aishwarya Shenolikar
Hello! I'm Aishwarya, an Introverted bookworm & writer. I have been reviewing books since 6 years on my blog - Mindscape in Words. My favourite genres are Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thrillers, Magical Realism, Poetry, Fantasy & Memoirs. I like the kind of books which evoke emotions on several levels leaving me wrecked, but also incredibly content. I'm dreaming for the world to paint a landscape full of words, more like Mindscape in Words. Hope you enjoy the view.
17 Comments
I hate long commutes. They make me feel like I'm wasting precious time, so I always take my Kindle with me to read, or I listen to podcasts to maximise that time.
I do remember when I sued to commute in Delhi, when I visited the town. That was hectic, even inside the women only part of the train. I guess being white though had some advantages and I didn't get pushed that much.
My husband takes the train one hour each way to and from work. He's used to it and just reads on the train.
If I had to take the train, I'd probably read. That's how I usually pass time for long trips.
I have been on busy public transportation and take whatever is available. I would give my seat up to the elderly or a pregnant one or someone traveling with a small child.
I hate it when there are long delays on the train. It is always so crowded. Now I try to remember to bring a book just in case.
I couldn't imagine the situation being dragged over inside without even walking or moving. It really must be so many passengers who would want to get it.
I've taken the commuter train in several busy cities, and it's always a bit of an adventure. I'm usually doing it as a tourist, so always nice to have a guide. My most challenging was in Moscow. An adventure indeed!
I used to commute in NYC – subway then train. It really wasn't bad, but I preferred when I could take my car. And I would have enjoyed a women only car.
I'm guilty of browsing social media on long commutes. I think we've lost tough with each other. But, it's still amazing to be around the energy of other women on that mission.
Geesh. i thought NYC transit was bad. I won't be complaining about it again…lol
This just makes me thankful that I am not in need of public transportation when it comes to my commute. That would drive me crazy.
I used to commute for 2 hours going to work and it was so tiring. I had no more energy to play with my kids when I get home.
I had everything from 45 mins to 10 mins commute to work. I prefer though to have a relaxed way to work, as in getting a seat in the tube and having time to read the news 🙂
Wow, this was a really interesting read – I had no idea that women had to sit separately from the men for one! x
I tend to get the trains at quiet times and I like to read a book. Surprised men still sit separate from the women.
I don't like commutes. It is very tiring.