“I completed my BA history from Anna Malai University but I couldn’t find any willing hirers for my qualification. This was the time when government jobs were high on demand and an announcement was made calling for canteen managers in the railways. Despite my hesitations, I knew for certain that job security was always there in government jobs. Without thinking twice, I applied for it and got in. I spent the initial 15 years of my work life delivering canteen orders inside the train and now, we have upgraded to the next level of having a stationary canteen in the platforms. Life however, has not upgraded much and we are still going by the ‘hand-to-mouth’ existence. Through this job, I get to see and observe people from different walks of life and assess their character from their behavior. People are extremely rude and they still continue to look down on people who do odd jobs like mine but such is the way of life. I still remember when I used to deliver hot cooked meals inside trains and the passengers would block the passage just for fun; despite multiple pleas, they would act indifferent and talk on calls. I would return and come back after a while. Here on the platform however, there is a different scene. Being in one of the busiest places in the city, I see different things on a daily basis and it is quite irksome. For example, the boarding and alighting from a train has a set mandate that nobody follows it. Youngsters chase a moving train and if they are lucky enough, they get into the train without a scratch but others, meet their fatal end on the tracks. It’s a heartening sight to see but we can only be a silent bystander and alert the securities when need be. You can’t expect them to listen to you neither can you try talking sense into them. It’s been around 7 years here but there is no awareness about this. I wish people were more responsible about their own lives and follow the rules, if only for their own safety.”

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