Tick, tick of tokens
Premankur Biswas
Posted: Sun Jul 24 2011, 03:20 hrs
She is in a starched white saree. A streak of vermilion is a striking contrast to her white mane. A crumpled plastic bag is clutched close to her heart and a frown adorns her forehead. Behind her a queue has formed. A restless youth shouts:”Ki holo Dida? Ghumiye porle naki?” (Grandma, have you dozed off?). She fumbles with the plastic coin-like thing, looks around helplessly. In front of her is a spanking new metro gate- a gleaming steel structure with red discs protruding out of it. A strapping RPF official comes to her rescue. Puts the coin in a coin slot and saves the day. Obviously, the lady hadn’t watched any of the audio-visual presentations that are being aired on the television screens across the metro stations. If she had, she would have been more confused.
Ever since the much-anticipated slot machines were inaugurated earlier this week, the audio-visual presentations are being aired every few minutes. Which is a good thing. What is not a good thing is the way in which the presentations are handled. A disembodied female voice tells you that the Metro authorities have “launched a wonderful new initiative”. Then a ticket window is shown where a disgruntled passenger is handed over some coins. We are told the coins are being sold. But before they get into the details of how these coins function, a disclaimer is announced. That these coins are valid only for 90 minutes after they are first put into the slot. Which means one has to complete one’s journey, whether it’s from Dum Dum to Kavi Subhash or from Belgachia to Shyambazar, in 90 minutes. This integral piece of information hits you like a tonne of bricks.
For, the average Kolkatan is not used to such time-bound urgency when it comes to Metro travel. We buy our ticket. We stroll into the station, wait for the once-in-an-hour air-conditioned train. Reject it if its too crowded. Spend some time chit-chatting with our friends if we have company. Spend some more time cosying up to our partners if the station has some cosy nook (like the Park Street one). And finally, when we have nothing to do, we take our trains.
So now the little coin in our pocket will be like a veritable time bomb. Ticking away as we rush down the stairs and stumble into the platform. Ticking away as we miss the train to Kavi Subhash by a second. Ticking away as we sweat it out in a platform. Ticking away as a train is cancelled because of a technical snag. Ticking away as we squeeze into the last train. Ticking away as we rush to queue up in front of the sensor gate. Tick, tick.
Source:
Indian Express
