Chennai 19B AC - 2 The art of seat grabbing

One reads in the news of politicians fighting for a seat in the assembly or parliament, getting a seat in 19B is no less effort. One has to devise a strategy, follow it , adapt it as the situation demands, ward of opposition and finally enjoy the spoils.

First of all it is a joke when someone does inquire when the next 19B bus is expected. For even the almighty might stutter to provide a clear answer .  On any city planned or unplanned, one can expect traffic, if not for the platform is reserved for two-wheelers type of Bangalore traffic, there is still some traffic on the roads, free-flowing mostly and jammed occasionally. Hence it is necessary that one has a good eye for catching the arrival of the bus, for there is always a deceiving AC bus (576) arriving to throw you off the plan.

There are other ways to spot that your bus is arriving, just watch the fellow software engineer he/she is bound to be like a deer spotting an attacking tiger, when the bus arrives. Not sure where to run when to run and more importantly when the door will open and which one will open.Once it opens one can see a huge rush from all directions pushing through the door.

The IT folks with their gym toned body, which they frequent once a month in their offices, or the huge tummy they built by sitting on their seats forever would be in full use. The poor ladies try to squeeze in between only to be pushed. Whether the front door alone opens or the back door also opens is a mystery even Sherlock Holmes would find difficult to tell.

All this applies if one stands outside the main bus stand and waits for the bus to drop currently traveling passengers. One wonders how this has become the norm of catching a seat for there is no clear rule on where a bus should stop to take its passengers.

The above rule applies to the active seat seekers. The passive seat seekers stand in the shade behind the bus stand, probably this is the original stipulated bus stop. These people probably do not mind standing inside the bus, some wait for the next empty bus which sometimes comes right behind.

Given the fact that it is sunny and hot even on a December Morning, one wonders the determination to grab a seat, one can only empathize the long travel time if someone travels to places like Siruseri, Navalur and beyond. They wait with their coloured umbrellas and red caps to brave the sun to grab a seat to start the long day at work as fresh as possible.