THE THREE MISTAKES OF MY DAY

The other day, in a span of one minute, three people committed three dangerous mistakes. I was boarding a B.E.S.T. bus that had barely stopped. The moment I lifted my leg to get in, the conductor rang the bell. Mistake # 1. I have been traveling by buses regularly since the past 2 years and can now convincingly say that conductors have made a habit out of this. The first step of the bus is almost a foot and a half high. So any attempt at getting into such a moving automobile can cause a serous injury to life and limb. But callousness is the mantra as there can be no other explanation for such behaviour.

Mistake # 2. Drivers of B.E.S.T. buses start and stop as per instructions rung in by the conductors. But that does not preclude them from using their own brains. A rear view mirror at the side of the bus gives them a good view of passengers boarding the bus. And on that fateful day, the sun was shining brightly and the birds were chirping. Visibility was 100%. Yet, the driver took off with just one foot of mine in the vehicle. Naturally I lost my balance but managed to get a hold of the railing at the side, holding on for dear life. As the bus went ahead, I was finally able to lodge the other foot too and then hoik myself clear into the bus. I survived to tell the tale.

Once I got inside, I decided to confront the conductor for his rash deed. I went upto him and asked him why he did what he had done, in a tone as courteous as I could muster. The conductor chose to ignore me completely. I repeated my question, in the same tone. Feigning inaudibility again, this time he looked away. His face turned a shade redder and I could see embarrassment in this eyes. And at that moment I knew I had him where I wanted him! All I had to do is continue with my gentle questioning and he, realizing he had done wrong, would be a reformed man for the rest of his employed life. I could have put in down in my weblog as my good deed for the day. But instead, I committed Mistake # 3, and in opinion, the most heinous of the trio. I lost my temper.

“I’m talking to you,” I hollered. “Why do you people do this every time. I could have broken my leg just because you were impatient enough to ring the bell before I got in,” I continued. Consequentially, his embarrassment made way for irritation and I got some tongue lashing back. A few seconds into the altercation and the point was all but lost. And as most fights end, I ended up threatening to bash him up. He was half my height, and half my waist length, I fancied my chances against him. But he took me on. “I dare you to lay a finger on me,” he glared. By now, 50 pairs of eyes were on me, anticipating my next move. This is what I did – I took a deep breath and walked away, licking my wounds. For I was in no mood to commit yet another mistake for the day. Not only would beating up a man in uniform prove to be sticky but more importantly, violence would have served no purpose. I had my chance of making a difference but I wasted it. But for sure, I’ll try to reason with another errant conductor some other day and one day I will succeed.