Sometimes, your dream of enjoying a relatively relaxed weekend commute on a largely empty train is rudely disrupted by youths who choose to have some fun while travelling.
The disturbance caused by such young men on trains is less when compared to buses. Yet, commuters are often visibly irritated.
On Sundays, on the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) route, young boys travel in the late afternoon services, mostly without buying tickets. They hang on to the edge of compartments, while sliding along the platform surface when the train picks up speed and jump into the compartment at the last moment.
Railway policemen say that the common complaint among commuters is that youth stand at the entrance of compartments, coming in the way of those entering or getting down.
“There is very little police presence on MRTS stations on Sunday afternoons and this emboldens the youth. The nuisance caused by them is of course a problem. But, they also expose themselves to considerable risk,” says a Southern Railway staff.
H. Krishnan, a commuter who travels from Pattaravakkam to Chennai Central every day, says commuters like him have been forced to put up with the ruckus caused by college students for many years now.
“They are very noisy and while indulging in playful fights among themselves, often ‘fall’ on other commuters. It is extremely annoying,” he adds. Some of the young commuters talk very loudly and use abusive language in their conversation. “It causes a lot of discomfort and embarrassment to commuters,” he adds.
Railway policemen say such behaviour cannot be treated as an offence, and that only an appeal can be made to the youth to behave themselves while travelling.
