TICKET TRAVAILS

I have announced it in all of my family that this brain drain going on should immediately checked and at least one of my cousins must get selected in India Civil Services or Defence Services. This isn’t because my patriotism has increased. In fact I have come to this deduction that if we have to survive in India, to get Reservations in trains one of the family members should be G.M. Railways as he has a Coach for his own. Secondly, Rank one officer in Defence services are usually never denied Reservations.

Don’t take my words lightly as they are pearls of wisdom of a very frequent traveller. You might be tempted to suggest getting the reservations done beforehand. Yes I do most of the time. But I tell you there are various trains where you won’t get the required seats or class even if you apply beforehand i.e. even 3 months prior to the date. Don’t know where they go.

You might also suggest getting a plane ticket, which is relatively easier. But dear, there are lot of cities where planes don’t land and then again you got to be a minister to have a charter plane.

 During emergencies and festive rush I have applied all sorts of quotas, unsuccessfully to mention Headquarters Quota i.e. from Rashtrapati Bhawan, Ministry of Railways Quota, Press Quota, Quota for IRCTC and Railway employees, various agents, Tatkaal and what-not.

Getting a Tatkaal ticket is even a more prised possession. I share a recently discovered tip that if you have relatives abroad with internet connection, they can get you a confirmed Tatkaal ticket online. Eureka ! you got it now. It may be due to better net speed or you took IRCTC server by surprise from abroad, there are 90% chances of getting confirmed Ticket. Otherwise the IRCTC server doesn’t budge after 10:00 am. And if you intend to get one from a counter you must reach there by 5:00 or 6:00 am. Some agents claimed that they wait at counters from even mid-night in their night clothes.

I have faced TTE’s acting like high and mighty Zamindaars of yesteryears and felt before them like a petty villager when I had to request for a seat with a waitlisted ticket. You realise their position when caught in such sticky situations. Waiting on a platform, once with a waitlisted ticket, I asked a TTE to please attend a call from Chief Ministers Home. He flatly refused saying whoever wants to talk should call on my cell. His comment pissed me off and left me fuming. I wanted to call him all the “f” words and grab his collar to say who you think you are. But my HR-friends guidance on Emotional Intelligence made me say “please Sir ! my ticket is waitlisted, help me out,” that too with a spot-on face of a damsel in distress. And on that day, thankfully it worked.