Hilarious Incidents We Delhi Metro Commuters Will Never Forget

The Delhi Metro is hailed as the lifeline of the capital. It's hard to imagine how people travelled in Delhi a decade ago with no metro trains around. Imagining taking 2 hours while changing three buses to reach destination! The metro rail is bliss for office goers, students, and shopaholics; just hop on to a metro train and travel comfortably in an air conditioned coach that will take you to work right on time on most days of the year.

There are certain unwritten rules of the Delhi metro that every daily commuter knows by heart. You will never find a place to sit during office hours, Rajiv Chowk is where the entire population of Delhi seems to gather when you most desperately need to get on a metro, and the Dwarka-Noida metro track will definitely have a technical snag if it rains in Delhi for more than 10 minutes.

I have got some real incidents that happened on the Delhi Metro that are funny, embarrassing, and will evoke a few giggles every time you read them.

You must always look perfect! “It happens every day, the moment the train enters the underground tunnel after  Qutb Minar  station, every girl in the compartment looks up and checks herself in the window (which has turned into a mirror because of the darkness outside). The whole thing is spontaneous, perfectly synchronized and independent of the rush”. 

Never mess with an angry woman. “This happened to one of my friend  at  Noida Sector  18. An angry lady was on the phone and entered the train. Everyone started starting at her. Just as the prompter was announcing that eating inside the train is prohibited, she opened a pack of Lay’s. The guy next to her stared at her again. This time she retorted "Aapko bhi chahiye kya?" And everyone looked away.”

It isn’t always a good day. “I had to go in the other direction from the platform I was on. I figured it was only 2 stations to the terminating station where the train would reverse its direction in my favour and I would be assured a definite seat. So I entered the last coach of the metro, found a seat and plugged in the earphones. On the reverse journey after the last station, I noticed only ladies were getting in but didn't bother. After 4 stations or so, a girl sitting opposite me got my attention and mouthed "women's coach". Had to stand for next 8 stations!”.

“I was on the Delhi metro sometime in January  this year waiting to make my way towards the door  when we arrived at Rajiv Chowk during the rush hour.  Rajiv Chowk is of course, the most crowded metro station in Delhi. I arrived at Rajiv Chowk and just  a  few seconds before the doors opened  to let one crowd out and another in, two guys near  the door  shouted 'Spartans! Prepare for glory!'”.

Here’s something we’ve all done at least once. “After the announcement, ‘DOORS WILL OPEN ON THE LEFT,’ I see people raising their hands to check which their left/right hand is!”.

“I once got a seat when I boarded the metro at Rajiv Chowk. Does that count as weird or funny?” Definitely counts as weird!

8 problems only a 'middle berth train traveller' will understand !!!

Bags packed, and tickets confirmed! There's a certain sense of joy when the ordeal of booking tickets is sorted. The moment the train touches the platform, it is almost an Indian tradition to quickly latch on to one of the doors even before it stops. In a rush to get in first, there's jostling, an argument here and there, and the struggle to get your luggage on the train safely. You only heave a sigh of relief when you reach your seat after a series of 'excuse me's'.

A train journey is an adventure, especially when you're travelling alone at night. Covered from head to toe in a white bed sheet, the snoring competition between uncles begins almost immediately after the lights are turned off. And God forbid someone farts in the AC compartment! If you have a lower berth, everyone wants it. But what happens when you have a middle berth? Here are some typical middle-berth traveller problems:

1. Wait till the lower berth travellers allow you to sleep: They’ll sit there and chit-chat, completely oblivious to the fact that there’s someone waiting to hit the middle berth and doze off. All you can do is wait for them to make their beds on the lower berth or just bluntly tell them it’s past their bedtime.

2. Can’t sit because the lower berth travellers are still sleeping: And when you wake up next morning you won’t be able to sit because the lower berth travellers are fast asleep.

3. You can’t see outside to check which station it is: It’s 3 a.m., you want to check which station it is. But you’re on the middle berth and you can barely see anything beyond the tracks from up there. You try to listen carefully to the announcements, but there are none at all!

4. You fear what if the chains holding your berth broke: What if you just twisted one of those chains and they broke?! It is a common fear in some children and adults. This never really happens but the thought indeed, is scary.

5. You have the easiest access to the switchboard: That’s a good thing, right? You can charge your phone, and flick on the switch whenever you like!

6. Worrying about shoes and bags: Your luggage and shoes are stacked below. You have to wake up every now and then to check if someone hasn’t walked away with them!

7. Exchange seats: If you’re travelling alone and have an entire family around you, one of them will definitely request you to exchange your seat with another one 20 seats away. ‘Actually we had booked tickets together but our daughter got one at the other end. Could you please exchange since you’re travelling alone?’ .

8. You get to sit in the middle between two strangers: As much as you want to take the window seat, the uncles, aunties, or the kids won’t let you enjoy that view. So you sit in between strangers and just wait for the journey to end soon!