The Local trains,which, along with the Buses, form the nerve system of Mumbai,are used by more than 7 million people everyday.
These are convenient[esp for Long distances],Cheap and highly reliable!
For many,this is the sole mode of transport!
Also,their frequency is amazing. A local every 2 minutes!
These are so integral,that the whole city might come to a standstill if the locals stop plying b/w stations for even a day!
but for all good they are,for someone who's new to the locals,traveling via them can be a daunting task!
esp at crowded stations!
Basically,the commuters can be broadly classified into 3 types -:
1.Seasoned traveler.
2.Experienced traveler.
3.Newbie.
now,the Seasoned travelers consider the locals theirs!
they are the one's who tend to lean outwards at the doors[and thus responsible for the image that one gets when locals are mentioned!]
the second cat. traveler[the one i'm tending towards now] knows how to get in,which stop to get up[off your seat] and overall,manages to get off the train on the correct stop.
people in the third cat.,usually the ones new to Mumbai,face problems the most!
right from which train to catch,to when to get off,how to get off,etc.
many a times,station names are also confused by them!
So quite often,the cat. 2 and 3 folks find it difficult to travel using locals!
Crowded Stations,Local doors blocked by the seasoned commuters,overshooting stations,confusion b/w ladies ,handicapped and 1st class compartments,etc are quite common problems.
But at the end of the day,like it or not,one just can't afford to give locals a miss,esp when traveling long distances!
also,it's not as tough as it seems to travel too,one just needs to learn certain tricks and that's all that's required.
These are convenient[esp for Long distances],Cheap and highly reliable!
For many,this is the sole mode of transport!
Also,their frequency is amazing. A local every 2 minutes!
These are so integral,that the whole city might come to a standstill if the locals stop plying b/w stations for even a day!
but for all good they are,for someone who's new to the locals,traveling via them can be a daunting task!
esp at crowded stations!
Basically,the commuters can be broadly classified into 3 types -:
1.Seasoned traveler.
2.Experienced traveler.
3.Newbie.
now,the Seasoned travelers consider the locals theirs!
they are the one's who tend to lean outwards at the doors[and thus responsible for the image that one gets when locals are mentioned!]
the second cat. traveler[the one i'm tending towards now] knows how to get in,which stop to get up[off your seat] and overall,manages to get off the train on the correct stop.
people in the third cat.,usually the ones new to Mumbai,face problems the most!
right from which train to catch,to when to get off,how to get off,etc.
many a times,station names are also confused by them!
So quite often,the cat. 2 and 3 folks find it difficult to travel using locals!
Crowded Stations,Local doors blocked by the seasoned commuters,overshooting stations,confusion b/w ladies ,handicapped and 1st class compartments,etc are quite common problems.
But at the end of the day,like it or not,one just can't afford to give locals a miss,esp when traveling long distances!
also,it's not as tough as it seems to travel too,one just needs to learn certain tricks and that's all that's required.
