No, don’t blame me for discussing such strange ideas. Blame Steven_Ber, the resident train expert at Indiamike. He has posted a photo of a young man in Assam who climbed on the top of the train to ask Steve “which country” you are from! That means Steve was traveling on the top of a train too! Now that makes me envious, really go green with envy. I wish I could post Steve’s photo here but for now you have to hop over and see the image of people traveling on the top of the train on Indiamike.
Now all I can talk about is traveling on the top of a bus way back in the college days. However, that was not the age of digital cameras or camera phones (in fact there were no mobile phones even) so I do not have a picture of my journey. Instead I can share a picture of people sitting on the top of a bus at Leh Bus Stand.
I used to travel for a different reason during school and college days. I used to represent my school and college (sometimes the state too) in various sports meets. We had gone to Tonk to participate in a sports meet back then when I was in college (and no, I have not explored the town as a tourist). When we were coming back, the bus was really crowded. So, 4-5 of us out of the 20 odd girls that made our squad decided that we were better off at the top of the bus rather than inside the bus. I do not remember much of the journey other than we had to duck hard when the bus went close to a tree with low hanging branches. I wonder if I would do such a thing again if I get a chance?
Hi Mridula,Well, this is still a common scenario in most of rural India. I have seen many such instances and it is no special thingy for regular commuters. As far as I can recall, there are still millions of villages in India that have a single bus traveling once in the morning and again in the evening.This kind of environment makes them a real life situation than adventure!
Oh thank God you ducked those branches Mridula! I never had the urge to travel on the top of a vehicle, somehow I don’t find it exciting! But then everyone has their limits between exciting and safety!Now Mohan is right about lack of infrastructure in rural areas. But then, I don’t live there!
With that kind of view, I wouldn’t mind sitting on top of the bus! What sports did you play? I did too, so am curious.
Sounds like a nice experience. Although I don’t have a Bus experience, but Lorry I do. 🙂
Hi Mohan, thanks for looking at the scenario with another perspective. I was not thinking of it when I wrote the post.Ah Priyank, that was way back and to be honest i really did not think of safety! Now next time, if there is a next time, your advice will ring in my ears before I attempt any such thing.Bindu, I started as an athlete, switched to TT (that I still play) and in university played basket ball too and then during the Ph.D. days even managed some badminton.Akhila lorry would do pretty fine! And I have actually traveled in a lorry twice!
Ohh my! I have never travelled on top of a bus. Although would have liked to 🙂 I have travelled just on the footboard once or twice literally hanging for life onto it 🙂
That could be next way of cost cutting for companies using buses to transport their staff- add another set of seats on the root and ferry twice the number of staff 🙂
Mridula,Does sitting on the roof of a boat count? I was going through some random pictures and found this and remembered your blog post. We were trying to take pictures of grizzly bears. I am the only Indian in this picture, towards the back with a camera. http://picasaweb.google.co.in/vamsee.m/Random#5278457968953257938
Doli, on the other hand I have never ever traveled on the footboard!Vamsee that does count, thanks for the picture, the two toher people also seem to be equally happy.Shrinidi, I was thinking of the UK tour buses that have open roof top and I saw two such buses in Jaipur too this time! Yes why not, the companies can introduce it!
Yeah, Once I did travel on top of the bus. Fortunately, it wasn’t in woods but in open. It felt too windy and cold. It was a rough ride and at times felt we would fall off the top. As for experience, well, it was something to remember for rest of our lives 🙂
Kusum, I agree, it is journey that one can’t forget in a hurry! But where was this for you?
Answer to your question is my latest post 🙂
Thanks for sharing Prashanth, that looks like a luxury bus top tour where as when we went there even the top was crowded!
It was in North Karnataka.
Thanks Kusum.