Want to ruin a perfectly good day? One simple step: Travel by public transport in India! It’s enough to put you in a foul mood. Don’t get me wrong. We all deal with the incessant crowds, the heat and the delays, so who are we to complain? But what really gets our panties in a knot is the men who add to the ordeal. So we don’t care if you think we are malicious, whiny she-devils, ‘coz there are some things men who travel by public transport absolutely need to know before we breathe fire!
1) The General compartment: There’s a reason it’s called the General compartment and not the Men’s compartment. It’s meant for everyone. So quit looking at us like we’re encroaching on your space. Not that we need to make explanations, but sometimes we hop on because we are traveling with male friends or simply because we plan to get off at the next stop. Otherwise, trust me, we go to great lengths to stay far, far from you.
2) Ladies’ seats: While travelling in buses, stop sitting in seats marked for Ladies. Unless, of course, you are blind, in which case there are special seats for the disabled! Oh, and when we ask you to vacate our seats, you can save the dirty face you usually make, for your boss. I’m sure he’d appreciate it much more.
3) Elbows out: Walking with your elbows out in a crowded place like the railway station platform, just to nudge us in our chest, makes you look like a chicken. O, wait, I forgot, you probably are one too!
4) Dangerous travellers: When you hang right out the door of the train while the train is in motion just so you’re the first to alight, or worse still, sit on the top of the train, we think you don’t just deserve to be fined, but given a good public flogging! Why? Because your mother probably didn’t give you one herself.
5) Our personal space: In the wake of the rising number of crimes against women, you should be on guard at all times. Walking so close to us that you accidentally brush against us warrants abuses, slaps, and kicks (if we happen to be black belts). And no, we won’t listen to an excuse.
6) Open defecation: We do not appreciate… Wait, strike that… We hate the sight of your ugly behind perched on the tracks as you take your morning dump. We’d really love to have a train journey that doesn’t leave us forever scarred.
7) Eve teasing: Whistling, passing creepy comments and whatnot, are just as bad as groping us in public. This may be public transport we are talking about, but we’re not public property!
8) Silent spectators: Quit signing online petitions for women’s safety, if you are too busy or afraid to stand up for a woman who fights back. Staying silent makes you one of them, but speaking up sets you apart. You don’t need to side with the perv just because you have the same genitals.
9) Loitering and leching: Stop loitering around or roaming aimlessly at bus stops. I get that you are free to do what you like, but more often than not you land up ogling and leching at us in the bargain. And that we will not tolerate. Our advice: go to college or get a real job! On that note, some of really don’t care to wear what you think is appropriate while travelling in public transport. So deal with it.
10) The cold truth: Lastly, but definitely not the least, we do not hate all men. We do know that about one percent of you are actually decent and don’t deserve the hard stares, but we’d rather be safe than sorry.
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