Abdul Rahman drew many eyeballs outside the Palarivattom metro station on Monday with his self-styled act as usher of sorts. With a poster welcoming passengers to Kochi metro, worn like a gown over his neck and a football tucked under his arm, the quinquagenarian from Payyanur in Kannur moved about outside the station, wishing commuters.
He was neither hired by the metro agency nor any private player for promotional purposes but had turned up on his own.
“Well, this is our State’s first metro and I felt like welcoming people coming to board it,” said the affable football fanatic, a regular at ISL matches in Kochi.
The inaugural day of the commercial services of the metro witnessed people from far flung areas thronging the city with the sole purpose of taking a ride aboard a metro train.
Amjith, a PWD contractor, and his wife Priyanka from Anchal in Kollam district had been camping in the city from Sunday. They stayed at a hotel in the city and turned up for the trip shortly after 5 a.m.
