DIFFERENT MODES (MOODS) OF TRAVEL

My readers are aware that I commute daily from Roorkee to Dehradun for my work. It presents an interesting opportunity for me to travel by different modes of transport. Most of the time I travel in Trackers (I have earlier written about them) and sometimes by state govt buses mostly UP and and very rarely Uttarakhand roadways. During last week one of my friend suggested me to travel with 03 more friends in a pooled car. The offer was good so I accepted. I traveled in the car for only 03 days and from the next week onwards I had to offer my inability to travel leisurely in the comforts of the Maruti Swift.  Travelling in the car was not at all enjoyable as you are totally cut off from what is happening outside the windows of the car. Daily you are travelling with same sets of people and there is nothing interesting taking place in the car. You do not talk to each other just listen to those oft repeated songs that too in a lour noise. After travelling for 02 days only I was yearning to go back to my jam packed city bus, packed auto and more humble (not the drivers) ST buses. And then one fine day I had to declare to my surprised friends of my decision of leaving the conforts of their car.

If you continue to travel through public transport you meet so many interesting people on the way. You become the part and parcel of the place and city through which you are travelling. Travelling in the car virtually cut you off from rest of the humanity on the road. And for me travelling in the car was just  like as if you have been imprisoned. I started missing my travels with the most common people, witnessing their urgency and listening to their day to day conversation and meeting with lots of interesting people and witnessing lots of interesting events and incidents. One of the most enjoyable thing for me during these travels is to sleep on the way. During my journey from Roorkee to Dehradun, in the mornings  if I happen to catch ST bus then I usually read some book upto Chutmalpur and then I go to sleep during the remaining journey. During return journey it is only sweet sleet as it is already night when I catch the return bus. Travelling in the car did not offer me such luxuries. Reading something was impossible and sleeping even more difficult due to the excess speed of the car. It only made me feeling sick instead of offering any comforts. I was totally denied my sweet sleep and my favorite hobby of reading during my car journeys, which thankfully lasted only for 03 days.

When I told my friends that I will not be able to come with them they all were surprised to know the reason. And when on Monday I travelled in the ST bus to Dehradun and then in crowded city bus I just felt arrived "At Home".  Travelling in the car was just like a prison, where there was not any freedom. Now I can imagine why these wanderers and Sanyasis roam carefree for they have nothing to be lost. Owner of the car is always worried about the smallest scratch on the body of his beloved car. There is always a chance of having to involve in unnecessary incidents of road rage, whereupon you have to become a party to these uncalled incidents. Travelling in the public transport saves your from all such unsavory events. If one ST bus has developed some snag on midway there will be another coming to take you at your destination. So dear readers enjoy your journeys in the public transport like I do and save little bit of patrol also.