Train journeys can be so alluring. But, travelling in a suburban train in the city can give you a real headache at times. There is no uniform design in the compartments of suburban electric trains. Many compartments have the overhead handgrips at a comfortable height of about six-and-a-half feet from the floor. In some, however, the handgrips are placed lower than six feet. And if the commuters are tall enough, they end up with a series of thuds on their forehead as they try to grab a seat during rush hour.
After the advent of mobile phones, comperes at public functions have had a tough time appealing to audiences to switch off their phones. At a recent function at Chennai Trade Centre in Nandambakkam, the compere began by saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, the awards function will begin soon. Kindly switch off your mobile phones or put them in silent mode, as we do not want any musical interludes. Thank you.” The crowd chuckled in acknowledgment.
In Mumbai’s suburban trains, one can find women chopping vegetables on their way back home after work, to save time cooking once they get home. In Chennai’s trains, women prefer weaving flower garlands to while away time. But trying it in an MTC bus can be quite difficult. Recently, four women boarded a bus to Tambaram from Mylapore. After the bus crossed Kotturpuram, the women took the flowers out. Once the bus crossed Guindy, it became overcrowded and the women could not move their hands freely. They promptly kept the flowers inside and began chatting with each other.
As long as there are functions in colleges, the boring professor who takes the microphone for hours will always be there. At a function in Loyola College, a professor kept on reading from a report of achievements of his department and as time ticked on, the chief guests began leaving one by one, even as he continued his speech. It concluded, however, with the usual, perfect mock ending, when student applause forced the professor to stop talking.
(By K. Manikandan, Vivek Narayanan and B. Aravind Kumar)
