Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Dear ladies using MTC, why?

Dear ladies of Madras,


"Since everyone is quoting all kinds of nonsense and saying that I said all that, let me make my mark on this blog post also." - Mahatma Gandhi.


This is not just a blog post. This is the culmination of the outrage I have accumulated over the years and since this place is where all the open letters end up, mine shall also. 50 percent of the ladies population can perhaps relate to this post, the rest can simply read and laugh. The former, do not take it seriously and send lawyer notice and all to me. Trust me, na avlo worth piece ellam illa. (I am not worth the effort)


First of all, second of all and third of all, one big salute to you. I mean really, with so much amazingly awesomesauce talent you occupy the gents side of the MTC buses and sit like you belong there. If only a guy sits on the ladies side, one lady from each seat will start yelling "Yen pa,  ladies nikkaraanga la!"(Ladies are standing no?)  I mean wow. You want equality and reservation, is it? If I come and ask you to get up saying this is 'gents' seat, that's all. You will start one anti-me group, recruit members and collect donation before the next stop comes.


I am ok with standing also. But what I don't understand is that you ladies are standing alternatively along both the columns like one Bharathiraja dance sequence and making it difficult for men to walk inside the bus. The conductor is also one paavam fellow. Apart from all this you will give one look. I am seriously asking, you think we wake up at 6 o'clock, brush teeth with close up, drink bru coffee, wear pant sattai, run behind the bus and all to come stare at you or rub against you? 


Whilst the process of engaging my superior colliculus on serious thoughts like "Will the canteen have Masala Dosai during lunch or not?" and other first world problems, we accidentally look at you. Or may be you look pretty and we look at you. That's all. Finish. You will picture a scene where Mahmood Ghazni is looting and pillaging Somnath temple where we men are Ghazni and you are, well do the math.  If I give my bag also you won't carry. You will give one expression that will seem like I asked you to carry my child. 


Nobody wants to travel in bus ok? If you stand near the door and ask evreryone to go inside followed by the most conscience less dialogue ever "Ulla avloo edam iruke pa!" (There is so much space inside no?) when all the men inside including the conductor are standing like dogs before transformers, what will we do? 


One special service for students were started. That also you started occupying. Now they call it the students/ladies bus service. Why is there no gents service? This and all if I ask I will come off as one male chauvinistic anti feminist posh scene putting boy who can't adjust with reality.
Most of the boys turned like this only after getting off 21G or 21L.



Slighta understand the situation. Cut down the drama, a little bit. Because, a journey of a thousand miles begins with an MTC season ticket.


Yours sincerely,
Yet another footboard commuter.

12 comments:

  1. Deivame, ungala epadi paraturadunu therla. Nee jeichutada! :)

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  2. yaru pa nee en manasula irrukaradha ellam puttu puttu vekura seriously a nice one dude....
    think if things proceed in dis way v men will ve to claim 4 reservations...

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  3. stare or rub? You can see most of the Y chromosome silently murmuring YES when they read your post :X

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  4. Sire, neenga engayo poiteenga! Seat matter totally accepted! Pesaama reservation kelungo! Pasanga paadu ippala Kashtam thaan!

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  5. That and all ok pa. But sometimes the ladies are sitting in the "general section" while there are still seats left in the "ladies section". This is like checkmate for us only. We have to stand for no reason itself. And sometimes they also occupying one seat in the two-seater, we sit next to them means one BIG scorn only they show.

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  6. Nice sarcasm.. And an everyday happening too :)

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  7. Correcting factual error first. There is no such thing called "Gents" seat in normal MTC. Its like how the typical reservation works. MTC buses with middle door had representational reservation (back part of the bus was "reserved" for men), but poor maintenance led to these buses to scrap and they switched back to old models. Trichy /even CBE(IIRC) has "reservation for men as well. Chennai is very magnanimous towards its women for some reason.

    Things are changing with Volvo (where even elderly / PH don't have reserved seats[which is bad because the 3 seats near the rear exit is supposed to be for them, but MTC drivers don't even operate the door making it pointless]).

    One main reason cited is crowd, historical incidents of abuse(which still happens in say 29C/15B unlike 21G). Crowd can be controlled through increasing buses and narrowing the demand / supply gap. Incidents of abuse will hopefully come down as society will be better with education. But the issue will continue to exist(despite above problems resolved) as its cultural and as long as feminists will exist.

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  8. as a very mellow feminist, I have always agreed with (and followed) this principle! Salute dude!

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  9. ^ HOLY. Spam comment and all. Seriously. :O

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  10. Dei this is even more relevant today. Buses are free of cost for women

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