The Rush in Bus: A Quest to be First!

by Prabhu G (India)

I didn't expect to find India

The rush is quite evidently everywhere and is to everyone and almost every time! It would be despotically stupid to call the politicians as rushy, just because they control everyone else's rush while managing to travel in zero traffic. Unlike these very politicians, there are several unelected, yet self-claimed Very Important Persons (VIPs), especially in public buses who desire to travel in zero traffic too, every time they get into a bus. Zero traffic, in the context of these VIPs, is however multidimensional in nature and are self-oriented yet contradicting demands. These VIPs anticipate the bust to be very free i.e., crowd less as soon as they board. They aspire for a window seat every time they into the bus but are rushy to get down at bus stand, even prior to the person sitting next to them! They are found to express a series of a serious form of discomfort while others try to support themselves with the help of poles in the middle, that are placed in between the gap of two parallel sets of seats. However, are more likely to rush to get down, even prior to the ones who have been standing since long in support of those middle poles. Furthermore, these rusted rushy set of stoppers, keep complaining of heavy traffic right in front of bus stands, but shamelessly forget the very act of theirs to have forced the conductor to stop on the main road, only to avoid walking back to the road from the parking place of the bus stand. An advent question often arises. If these unelected electives are certainly of important figures, why aren't they even been invited for certain forms of inauguration and ribbon cuttings? Instead, inspite of being portrayed oneself as a very important person on the bus, they just eventually end up getting down from an almost running bus, only to spit the shit of tobacco from their mouth and scratch their scrotum in the middle of the road to cause the same traffic jam which they keep complaining of. I often wonder, are these people in a real rush for their own good and that of the nation they belong by being the most productive, else it is just an intended effort to exhibit their personality as important one? If at all it is a real rush to be the most productive individual on the earth, or at least in the nation, then why are we failing so badly as individuals and nation to meet the very basic necessities of our own fellow countrymen? The necessities for nutritious food, a permanent shelter, a sense of security, freedom to religious and non-religious practices, and adequate employment? Nevertheless, whether this rush for productivity isn't sufficient enough yet, or else this rush isn't real but these individuals are just trying to be super selfish in their quest to be first which I for sure didn't expect to find it ins such a way! If it all has to end in a quest to be first, then why haven't they ever been in similar rush to take tickets first? Instead, are often found praying to be escaped somehow from taking tickets. In that case, where is their quest to be first, in taking a ticket first than rushing to reserve a seat? Even if heeding to a referral of a quest, focused only towards a softer and criticism escapable matters, to which all, apart from a handful of aspects, have they been speaking of frequently to express their similar quests to be first and better? How often have they been speaking of poverty index? of the unemployment rate? of media freedom index? of the deteriorating economy? of air quality index? of health index? of happiness index? of several other indexes that matter a lot? Of those that I found doing the same in buses, are often found justifying such acts openly. Their arguments often sum up to a question, why do I have to consider such simple acts to very serious issues of the country? Well, I neither didn't expect to find such questions fro them, nor I have any answers. I hope my story itself stands as an answer.