Last sunday I was coming from vijayawada to bangalore by bus (pvt travels: KALESWARI). Most of the passengers booked tickets through online booking. But few fellows booked tickets through middlemen. Actually, these travel brokers have to confirm the availability status with the main travel agents and if seats are available they will issue tickets in thier name. But some how the main travel agents have not logged these ticket numbers in their computers and with that effect they have issued the tickets for more than one person. Surprisinly, three gentlemen got the tickets with the same seat number.
The headache raised because of this. Because of traffic regulations, the bus was stopped one kilometer away from the actual boarding point. Also, in prior travel agents have not verified the seat numbers. So all the people were forced to get into the bus. Around 2-3 kms away from the city, every one in the bus is shouting at the bus incharge.
It was night 10:00PM. and the actual departure time is 8:00PM. Mistake is from both the sides: brokers and the main agents. Even if they get money back, they are not willing to get down as it is very difficult to get another bus. Finally, they agreed and requested the bus incharge to sleep in the middle of the seats. The fact is no passenger is not allowed to travel without seat in this bus. It was quite horrible situation to all of them. Each ticket costs 650/-. Six hundred and fity rupees.
In this hot horrible situation, a silly incident occured. An young lady reserved a ticket with seat no: 12. As she has to travel alone and also not quite interested to sit beside male passenger, she requested the travel agent to give seat no :8. But after getting into the bus, there was a big quarell between this girl and the actual seat owner. Interesting thing is both the passengers are young girls. Neither of them is willing to agree on same point. One girl says "I am having back pain and I can't sit back and also the travel agent issued this seat." and another one says " I have reserved this ticket 20 days back. Why should I change my seat?".. Actually there is no big difference between seat numbers 8 and 12. Unnecessarily these two girls made a high tension situation and every one in the bus got irritation.
See the difference between the two. Some passengers are agreed to travel without seat. And ofcourse, mistake is not their side. Even then they are quite comfortable. The reason is necessity and also the resource availability. It's just an attitude problem.
Anyways, I am not in any of these. Just watching as a spectator in the middle.
