Platform Ticket

Experience teaches a person a lot. I thought sharing these things with others will atleast warn them to be on guard. Those were the days of " National Emergency" imposed by Ms. Indira Gandhi, ---I am not going into the merits or otherwise of the State of Nation in those days. There was a sense of discipline in everything,--trains were on time, people were scared of taking bribes,.
We used to stay in Factory Quarters situated near Kirkee Railway Station ( it was called Kirkee in those days later changed to Khadki). I used to go to Factory with one of my friends on his Scooter at 7.30 AM daily.Also I had the habit of collecting Magazines from Railway Bookstall.There was never any problem earlier. But on that fateful day, as usual I collected the magazines and was about to come out of the Platform and I failed to notice that Madras- Bombay Express ( those cities were known by those names only ) was about to leave and quite a number of passengers got down. Suddenly there was tap on my shoulder and the menacing voice demanded to show the ticket !! I meekly told him I didnot have one. He literally pushed me to a Room like thing and pulled my hand and almost snapped the handcuffs shut. Did you ever see hand cuffs ? They can be used for a pair of hands whether of a single human being or two different characters !!! There were 7 chaps already caught without ticket, and one part of
a handcuff was idle and they wanted to take all these captives to Pune Railway Station Court.
I was supposed to be that unfortunate 8 th batsman !!! Just before he snapped the handcuff shut, I started pleading innocence and tried to prove that I did not travel from Madras.
There was lot of shouting and believe me I had the closest brush with the Law on that day and short of crying , I tried to prove my honesty. To my good luck and on hearing the commotion in the Room, their Boss has entered and enquired . I repeated my story and informed him that I was on my way to Factory and , shown my ID card, even shown & offered the hot contents of my Tiffin Box ( affectionately called Dubba ). He asked a simple question whether I can prove that I had not got down from that train. He was not convinced with all my explanation and finally I offered to take him to my Residence which was behind the Railway Station. Meanwhile
the police brought another character in Rags to complete the Quota of 8 persons & 4 Handcuffs !
Now that ,Day's target of rounding up ticketless travellers was achieved, the Inspector was kind enough to give me a discourse on Railways and that he was letting me off as I looked like a gentleman etc.... ( only moments earlier I was about to be packed off and paraded in the august company of 7 chaps !!) . He enlightened me about the Flying Squad on the Trains and their job is only to identify ticketless travellers & hand them over to the police and ensure to snap the handcuffs shut. These can be opened only in the court !!! In fact lot of beggars volunteer to get arrested as they are assured of a square meal in the prison !! I nearly became part of History on that day. The Inspector then advised me to purchase a platform Ticket or atleast take permission from the TT at the gate. The idea is when caught in an embarassing situation there should be atleast one soul to identify , otherwise be prepared to spend time in Lock up Room of Railway police.
Now it is 32 years and I never step out on Railway Platform without a valid ticket.