I took a train ride recently. It was first class cabin. Just a little below N10K.
I use the train frequently these days because it’s comfortable, very neat and practically stress-free. But my last ride was something else.
The first class cabin was half occupied as of the time I settled for my seat. The seat next to me, as well as the one on the other side, was unoccupied.
The train stopped at the next station to pick more passengers and that’s when things started happening.
Passengers are forbidden to upgrade from one cabin to the other, and unnecessary movements are discouraged. But all these instructions were ignored this particular day.
The first class cabin eventually filled up, and the person that sat beside me soon started snoring noisily. I looked over. His mouth was fully open… I covered my face with my cardigan.
As NRC officials started moving round to check passengers’ tickets, half of the first class cabin occupants, including the snorer beside me, disappeared to the cabins they had paid for.
Just when I thought the worst was over, a preteen boy came to occupy the recently vacated seat beside me. Nothing unusual, so I returned to a movie I was watching on my device.
Then this mid-aged man came from behind and planted himself before me. Almost putting his face in mine, he begged me in the name of God to vacate my seat for another one somewhere at the rear so he could sit with his son who was already seated beside me.
I later thanked the same God who did not allow me to have to respond in kind to his irritating request before someone shouted down the aisle that he and his beloved son could come take up some seats somewhere else.
Just when I thought the worst was over, a lady came with her own request: she wanted to charge her iPhone with my Android charger.
Asked how she wanted to achieve that, it turned out that all she needed was my “charger head.”
“No problem, bring your phone and leave it here to charge,” I told her.
The phone was left charging till I disembarked…
