Private Bus Drama

Normally I never travel in small time private bus operators. All my previous experience has been bad. So these are the things that happened in the past; 

• In 2001 I boarded a bus called Sangeetha Travels by 10.30 to Chennai. Since I was tired I slept and woke up by 1 o clock only to fine the bus was still in the same spot I boarded. They were still filling the empty seats. Then reached by 10 AM.
• Second is also with the same operator & same year who dropped us in chitoor claiming they don’t have a permit to enter Tamil Nadu and left us in a normal bus. Again reached Chennai by 10 AM
• Then 6 months I boarded a bus to Madurai. This time operator name National Travels. I was told bus starts by 10 o clock and again when we crossed Chennai it was 2 o clocks. Until then they were filling the seats. Then they reached Trichy where most of them got down and again they halted for an hour to fill the empty seats. Then reached by 1 PM.

After these entire nightmares I stopped travelling using smalltime players. Yesterday I badly wanted to travel to Bangalore as today is the last day to pay Professional Tax. I must have booked tickets as I know I must travel to Bangalore. But that is me I love vagabond travel.

Again yesterday I was called by Sangitha Travels. The cost of the ticket was Rs.850/- which was double than what I normally pay. Then I was told I need to board 11.30 PM bus. Then couple of people was asked to board 11 o clock bus and when I asked it that was my bus they said mine was 11.30 bus. A Gurka employee of the travels said 11 o clock bus was last and by now I smelled again I’m into some trouble.

Not this is how the drama started; 

• All of a sudden asked for my boarding pass.
• He returned asked me to take my bag, run and follow him.
• He returned shouting at his other agents to call and stop the bus.
• Then he gave the boarding pass to Gurka and asked him to stop the bus and make me board the bus.
• He took me to some other agent.
• He shouted at me asking what time to come.
• It irked me I started giving back telling I was waiting inside his office for more than an hour. In fact this guy saw me sitting inside his office for long, but he pretended as if he doesn’t know me.
• Then he asked for another 100 bucks claiming he needed that to help me board another bus.
• By now I started shouting at him in local Chennai lingo and I said I can create a scene.
• Then he changed the topic telling I owe them Rs.100 bucks. Then I said if he is going to mess around with me he is into trouble. My ease speaking Chennai lingo helped.
• Then he said he is doing me a favor. He said without my knowledge he has sent someone in my bus and he took his boarding pass to me.
• He gave me the front seat where ask I was given the last seat in my ticket.
• I was adamant not to pay these people even a penny.
• Then I got into my seat and got settled.
• Then when I peeped out there were old people, young couples with kids who were put into trouble.

I was in no mood in give a helping hand to them and I was watching all the quarrels. Finally they started the bus by 12:15PM and reached Bangalore by 5:15 PM.