STATE (of) TRANSPORT!!!!!

The State Transport (S.T.) of Maharashtra is one of a kind. Forming an opinion about their effectiveness and comfort is quite disputable.

The discommodities faced by poor mortals going through the same ordeal daily are shortly listed below:-

1. The over crowded bus is literally packed like sardines!!! People occupy every nook and corner of the bus adjusting to the limit of their flexibility ruining the crease and the shoe polish for poor office goers. The odor of the sweat has to be accepted as fragrance of love…

2. Now the type of the crowd…majority of them are gaowales!! Especially during he wee hours. These maniacs have no hygienic sense as to differentiate between a dustbin (I know I am asking too much!!) and a bus interior…bloody rascals spit inside the bus sitting just next to the window!....not to mention the flowery accent which they shower upon anybody who comes up with an argument.

3. If you are a humble guy like me ;) and there is a babe in the bus (by chance!!!) then its hell….as every desperate son of a bitch will try to occupy the space around the gal stamping pushing and shoving you out of the way as if you were worse than a piece of trash!!!

4. Luggage!... I still don’t know why the hell they don’t charge extra for surplus impedimenta that people stuff into ST. It’s frustrating for the people sitting nearby let alone the standing passengers.

5. Well… as the gaowala behaviour is predominant in every aspect, seat capturing is not left behind rather it has become an art. People having no courtesy, slide in from no where and place some part of their body to claim the sweaty seat! In case the window is seen unoccupied their belongings come in handy as they are thrown inside to capture the seat with whole satisfaction and dignity.

6. Well with all courtesy towards females :)….. It’s a disgrace that ST buses don’t have seats reserved for them…so they often land into embarrassing situations with people constantly shifting in a crowded bus and not to mention the conductor who has a throne reserved entirely for himself for which even the elderly people are denied access.

7. Last but not the least the rickety structure of the bus that shatters badly than a grinding machine could give away any moment. Often the bus is found tilted to such an extent that the inaugural stair rips off scraping against the road…not to mention the back ache suffered by the poor driver constantly adjusting to the angle ;)

Well…. As they say like the two sides of a coin every thing has got a good side and a bad side as well… (btw I cant figure out which side of the coin is bad…) so is the case with the ST buses. Here’s some of the things these buses are liked for-

1. Speed!!!! No wonder they are the fastest means of transport in Navi Mumbai…or even in Mumbai. It’s the biggest advantage of STs. This is made possible by having limited number of stops and stoppage times and using the highway route…Traffic signals are mere display lights inviting the driver to step over that accelerator! Surely with no high rise buildings and towers in India, ST bus is the only option Spider Man will revert to in desperate times… :)

2. Cost Effectiveness…These buses are cheaper than any other bus transport service across the whole state. Although the withered paper of the ticket is crumpled and punctured six times before it is handed, but who the hell cares??? as long as the printed price on it remains the same.

3. Brakes!!! Even though the structure of the bus is dilapidated and fragile, the disc brakes employed by it are capable of shaking the foundations of your body when applied suddenly. They are weird uncannily…. Always sudden and no matter how fast the bus is moving it will come to a halt covering the same distance.

4. Seats- Unlike most of the local buses the seats of ST are quite comfortable as they have better back support generally extending over till the head allowing one to relax and enjoy the bumpy ride.

5. Capacity!!! Even though it is overloaded with people, when in need its often great to be able to get inside somehow and commute the distance especially at the cost of other passengers comfort ;)

6. Windows- The windows are big and can slide along horizontally unlike the stupid ones employed by the BEST buses which need to be hanged!

7. Last but not the least, one can enjoy a god nap if he or she is able to find a comfortable seat and is on for a longer journey. The comfortable seat and the perpetual motion serves as a perfect combination to act a sedative which eases the journey especially if you have your ears plugged in to some good music.

Weighing the pros and the cons and accounting our personal experiences it’s difficult to conclude whether S.T. bus service should be called Superb Transport or Sadial Transport service. I have been relying on them since the past four years and have varied memories associated with it. All in all I believe, however problematic, they will continue to remain the life line for the residents of the Satellite City- Navi Mumbai.