Had a huge fight with the conductor of the air-condition bus mentioned in the post that appears below. It’s Andheri (East) and after the usual sweaty, hot, impatient wait, I get inside. I have bought this smart card that I pay for in advance and which says I can travel in both Bombay trains and BEST buses without paying cash, the fare being deducted from the card in the smart way. I paid for the comfort in advance, didn’t I?
I show the card to the conductor and ask him if it works on BEST and can I please make use of it. This is because the card clearly has BEST written on it.
He touches it with his thinga and says, “No, from where did you get this, it has expired and you haven’t renewed it?”
I am aghast. I had renewed it recently and the railway thinga had shown that I have Rs 185 balance on my card.
But he won’t let me go. “I will have to confiscate your card, because it is an offence to carry an expired card.”
I say, “But I only asked you if it works, and am willing to pay the full fare in cash.”
He says in his loud, bullying voice, “No, I will have to confiscate your card.”
I become very worked up at this point, you know sugar levels and all that, and start shouting that I have my contacts, “You can’t argue with a passenger. You don’t know what places I have pahunch (reach) and I will see you,” and stuff like that and take his identity number, what is the “billa number” on his badge.
He becomes all humbleness and humility after this. Good, I scared the bugger. Several passengers “sush” me down. They seem to be on the conductor’s side. Traitors, I am trying to fight for them and they are “sushing” me! I can’t believe it!
Then the paragon of humility hands me back my card. But I still have his number and I am going to complain. He was very rude and aggressive and said he didn’t have a blemish against his name for thirty years and I am going to see that he learns a lesson after thirty years of bullying his passenger.
Yes, I am going to complain, I am determined.
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