A Moshpit on Wheels

Indian travel has proven to be a bit more of an adventure than we had originally thought...


First the trains: Indian trains are broken up into about 15 classes with the lowest being second class. Second class train cars involve wooden seats grouped in little pods with 6 people facing each other (3 on each side). There is also a shelf above designed to store bags, however a person could lie down and sleep here should they choose to (without padding of course). There is also another aisle of seats across the walkway that would fit 2 people facing each other (1 on each side) The train cars have bars on the windows and only two doors per car. Sounds pretty normal, right. Well, here's the catch, seats are unreserved. You have a ticket, but your seat depends entirely on your ability to fight off your fellow man, his wife, children, parents, grandparents, and possibly some chickens. Another catch, there is no limit to the number of tickets they sell for second class, so it is EXTREMELY overbooked (think a country of over a billion people with the infrastructure for far less).

So, for the train car described above, I would estimate a capacity of about 50 people assuming each person was given one seat and no one would want to sit on a hard wooden shelf designed to carry bags. I would estimate our train had about 250 people on it. I'll describe our section. We literally had to fight our way onto the train with our bags playing bumper cars with anyone who approached us. The only way to avoid standing or sitting on someones lap was to use our bag as a stool in the middle of an aisle - which would later become our bed - well that and the persons knee to our left. In our 6 person section, there was myself, the teenage boy wedged behind me, two grandparents to my left, three children sleeping on their mothers lap, 2 more children above me with a father and grandfather, and another gentleman balance precariously above - not to mention the man passed out at their feet. That's one side of the 6 person section that is supposed to fit 3. The train was so packed that there were 4 people hanging onto the door (which might be a preferable spot when the car begins to smell). This trip was for 15hrs and took place in 110degree heat plus humidity - no food unless you bought it from the street vendors at stops and no toilet unless you walk over the group of men sleeping on eachother to get to the one in the back where aim wasn't a priority. Michele thought it looked like a train going to a concentration camp and I definitely don't disagree. A hell of an experience. At least we had the luxury of sampling this as a tourist novelty, and I can't imagine people having to deal with this on a daily basis. Absolutely incredible.

Oh yeah, and then all these people have to get off the train...but here's the catch, there are another 75 people or so wanting to get on and will stop at nothing to be the first person on the train clinging to the desperate hope that there will be a small area of wood available for them to sit uncomfortably for the trip. Picture two rivers converging. One man was literally lifted off his feat and carried by the departing mass.



Now to the Buses: I don't have the time to write (and you probably don't have the stamina to read) about the bus experience, but it was even worse. People are packed in like sheep in a pen (you know the pictures when they are all touching and can't even turn around). You can barely even breath. Women and children are forced to stand in the heat where air has a hard time finding the people in the middle. 20+ people have died in the past couple of months from the heat and I would imagine that these buses could be part of the reason why. I was absolutely appalled that people could be treated this way, and, again, can't imagine putting up with this on a daily basis. All that said, we're loving the experience here. It's challenging in every way imaginable, but all good...there might just be some things we'll want to experience only once.



A video that begins to explain what a typical Indian bus ride feels like:





More Transport Pictures: