For Delhi Metro Riders: How Old is ‘seat-worthy old’?

During my many sojourns in the Delhi Metro, I have realized one thing that no matter how much Delhiites are ridiculed, they have some degree of respect towards the elderly. One thriving example of this is the fact that men and women of all ages are more than forthcoming when it comes to vacating their seat for an elderly person. However, from a personal perspective, this trend confuses me besides making me feel good about my city. For starters, apart from the folks who are extremely old and look weathered and worn-out, how do I always know about vacating my seat?

The Actresses are Revealed

This happened to me when I was naive about the ways of the Delhi Metro. I was comfortably seated in the General, non-Ladies section as the next stop approached. A fair lady, in her mid-30s approached me. She had a body language which suggested that she couldn't take "No" for an answer. However, I did not mind seeing her in the eye and not moving from my seat. There is nothing wrong in holding on to your seat when the Delhi Metro offers dedicated lady's compartment and reserved seats. As a man and a paying customer, there is nothing wrong with me wanting to comfort my aching legs and bums.

Metro: The Last, Save Haven for Women in the City?

This might sound shocking to some of you but to me it makes perfect sense. The recent wave of anguish and helplessness among people and their attempts to protect the women of Delhi got me started thinking if there was a place that could be considered safe within the capital region. Come to think of it, women have been groped, molested, raped and murdered within their homes, offices, public parks and upmarket hang-outs. What does this suggest? Firstly, we, as a city, should stop priding ourselves for living in the capital of India. A city that has its soul bloodied with women and minor girls on an everyday basis just cannot be projected as the

Dem Lost Souls

Being an avid Metro user and a keen observer, I couldn't help notice people who choose to remain clueless and wander the Delhi Metro platforms as if they are sightseeing. For the uninitiated, I am not talking about people using the Delhi Metro for the first time or those who are genuinely dumb. I am talking about folks who use the Delhi Metro rather often and actually know the routes. However, they have this penchant to ask for directions, reconfirm the routes and re-reconfirm what they already know. These Lost Souls can be found at

She Ain’t No Blonde or Princess, She’s Just Rajouri!

This is my first of submissions that will focus upon the Metro typecasts I have come across. I have a slightly cynical outlook and thus, I am going to begin with a typical kind of Delhi Metro passenger that needs a serious reality check—I call “it” the “Rajouri Types” and this is particularly applicable to the women who board the metro from the Rajouri Garden Metro Station and the nearby areas. You must be wondering what could be so despicable about such ladies. Well, there is nothing wrong with them except for the fact they are highly prone to thinking that they belong to an elite class that should be treated superiorly within the Delhi Metro!!

Decoding the Phenomenon: Metro Sleep

I guess this discovery should get me nominated into the league of folks who have contributed significantly to deciphering the human behavior or more precisely the human sleep patterns. At a time, when most leading magazines too have run out of ideas and cannot write anything new about sleep, sleeping habits, sleeping problems, etc. I have unearthed a new kind of sleep! Yes, this might surprise you but keeping my observant senses in the switch-on mode has finally yielded results. I have titled my discovery as the “Metro Sleep”. This kind of sleep is

The ‘Monsoon Warrior’: If You Use It, Don’t Abuse It

Few nations in the world can boast of a weather phenomenon so influential that it can topple governments and impact nearly every aspect of human life by its erratic ways—I am talking about the Monsoons in India. The Monsoons are so mighty that they can drown the entire Mumbai metropolis within a few hours or decide how much we would need to spend for our daily bread through the year. However, there is one warrior among us, made of steel and absolute grit that doesn’t succumb to the Moody Monsoons. This is the Delhi Metro. Today was a pleasant day when the Monsoons, so far conspicuous by their absence, arrived and threw the capital city out of its comfort zone. To make matters worse,

Don’t Hang on for Your Life—Just Spread it like an Orangutan

You must be thinking I am asking you to do some yoga posture that requires you to really stretch yourself. Naah!! You couldn’t be more wrong. This is more of a handy tip to make yourself more comfortable when aboard the Delhi Metro.I have noticed that most Metro commuters really struggle to balance themselves. The smallest of jerks seems to throw them off their balance. I too faced something similar during my early days in the Delhi Metro. Every time, I didn’t have a firm grip on the support rods or the hanger-like danglers, I would fall upon a fellow passenger who would either frown with utter disgust or just smile, i.e. in the case of men. The few instances wherein I brushed against a lady, the expressions ranged from an “UFF” that would have done the Princess of Arabia proud to a lethal stare which suggested I had some seriously ulterior motives. At one point, I was seriously contemplating some exercises that could help to improve body balance with the goal of getting better stance during the Metro traveling hours.

Source: https://allabout-japan.com/en/article/2249/

Moving ahead, if you are serious about balancing yourself on the Metro, even without holding on to something—“just spread your legs” to the maximum. I realize this phrase has a somewhat twisted meaning for women, so am going to limit myself to guys only. I have a biggish frame and I am more than 6” tall. To get my balance right, I spread my legs beyond my shoulder width. The further you can spread, more immune you make yourself against being thrown ahead or backwards, every time the Metro jerks.I really don’t understand the Physics behind my tip but it does seem to work rather well.

Even if you find the Metro crowded, just ensure you slip your foot between that of others, twisting and turning it like a snake, unless you feel that stretching any further could compromise the health of your groin or your manhood. It is not just Delhi and isn't just me who faces the issue. Ask daily commuters in Japan, being served by an astronomically better public tube system, and you will realize how finding space in the most crowded trains is actually an acquired art - it does not come easy. You need to practice the trade. There are some very handy tips shared by Andrew Griffiths in this 2015 blog in the hyperlink that preceded this sentence - click and read about them if you are going to be Metro-traveling regularly.

There is a bit of Physics and Body Science involved here and people with rock climbing credentials might be more likely to get a better grip than you, and also fall over less often. From the one-finger hold to the shoulder-press gate phase, from tip-toeing like the late MJ to letting yourself being taken along in the river of humanity, there are so many tricks to travel better in crowded trains that you cannot read about and imbibe - you have to pay the dues, suffer and get better at this!