During the festive times, getting train / bus tickets is getting very difficult.People are booking well in advance as soon as the bookings begin. For Indian Railways, it is 90 days before the date of journey.Everybody wants to go Home during the holidays and if the holiday comes with adjoining weekend, then the rush cant be imagined.And for poor planners and people who decide to travel in the eleventh hour, like me,will have to lose money and time as well.
I had to wake up at 4AM to be at the booking counter at 5:30 AM which opens at 8AM only to find that there are already people who came even early.Everyday, for the past 4 days, I was at the counter by 5:30AM. But I was humbled every time and I was never the first one in the queue.But I somehow managed to get all the tickets I wanted.Thanks to my social skills. They came very handy when I was position 3 in the queue on one day.If not for them, I wouldn’t have got my ticket.
I lost lot of time and money but there is no other go. This is the next best option available.I cant travel in General bogie continuously for two days and also I cant afford Volvo whose price will only skyrocket on the day before the journey date.
These are the learnings:
[1] If you badly want something, you will somehow get it. (I woke up at 4 AM everyday for 4 days, even after losing touch with the habit of getting up early)
[2] How much ever smart you think you are, there will always be someone somewhere, who will outsmart you.So be humble. ( I went everyday at 5:30 AM thinking that I will be the first one to be in the queue. But only to find that there were already people waiting from 4 AM or even 3AM. I was never first one in the queue.)
[3] Social and networking skills are a must for anyone. ( My ability to connect and mingle with people helped me one day to get my ticket despite of arriving at position 3. Remember that Tatkal tickets will be exhausted in no time (max 5 minutes from the start time), especially in a festive season like this.So even if you are in position 3, you will NOT get a ticket.)
[4] Think beyond yourself and help others in your little way.There is a lot of satisfaction in that.( I helped two of my friends and one more person who was behind me in the queue in getting tickets.)
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