As the bus arrived, common sense departed. Even before the bus could come to a halt, the army of seat hoarders flanked the bus on both the sides. Kerchiefs, towels, bags, books, baskets, even a kid, flew through the open windows, like projectiles claiming the seats they landed on.

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Those with a different strategy dashed to the doors first. Not one, not two, but three commuters squeezed themselves through a single door. The air was filled with expletives as they elbowed their way to their most coveted seats. 

 

Except for the driver’s seat, the commuters were fiercely vying for any vacant seat. It was a sight to behold, when those who had blocked seats through the windows confronted the ‘illegal’ occupants. It was like a war zone without the bloodshed.

Tempers flared, voices peaked when some commuters didn’t meet the basic conditions - The female commuter should be a permanent resident of Karnataka, with a locally issued Govt. ID and aged above 6 years.

Tired as can be, the dehydrated conductors, with throats hoarse from engaging in heated arguments, endless shouting, and evicting unruly and ineligible commuters, observed a rather peculiar statistic arise: they had issued more warnings than free tickets!

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A warning that stood out the most was when a commuter, bless her heart, instinctively demanded the conductor return her change for a free ticket! A priceless moment indeed!

 

A lot of commuters had no real agenda or daily routine. They simply hopped on board to check if this "free" thing was legit. There were thrill-seekers, who boarded only to observe others’ reactions and contribute to the chaos. There were teenagers who wanted to escape boredom.  Then you had those making pit stops to return borrowed utensils or staplers or earphones. And talk about the legends -  who went on a whirlwind roundtrip when their TV serials went on a commercial break.    

While the conductors found themselves questioning their very existence, the male commuters too faced a similar existential crisis: with no available seats, they were left standing, fuming, and bewildered, wondering if they accidentally hopped on a women-only bus. It is only a matter of time, a desperate cry to paint "GENTS ONLY" signs above 50% of the seats, will gain chorus.

 

So, while this scheme certainly helps female commuters in genuine need of travel, offering them a lift as they pursue their dreams, but it’s worth reminding many folks that it's not a ticket for frivolous joyrides, and is best availed on need basis and not because they can. So let's keep the buses buzzing with purposeful journeys and make every trip count!