While travelling to Mangalore by train, there was no action for the first 1 hour. Suddenly after the TT came to check the tickets the entire melodrama unfolded. After checking our tickets along with the co-passengers ticket the TT caught hold of one young boy, who was travelling with someone else’s ticket. The boy was 22 years old but travelling with 59 year old man’s ticket which is impersonation as per railway rules and regulations. The boy had bought the ticket when somebody approached him with cancellation. The boy thought it was regular affair to travel with someone else s ticket. He paid the full money Rs 240 for the ticket to the seller, who seemed to be a fraud. The TT started shouting abuses at the boy and he agreed to pay the penalty along with forfeiting the ticket. It worked out to Rs 560/-

The TT asked the boy to hold on near my berth. I heard the entire episode and was sympathetic to the young boy’s travails. He was worried that he had to pay the penalty. Meanwhile I just thought over it and asked him to detrain at next station which was Mandya and board the general compartment, wherein even if he is caught without ticket he will pay RS 200 bucks. Alternatively he can buy a general ticket in Mysore and travel upto Mangalore which would have been the most logical thing to do under the circumstances.

Meanwhile TT after confiscating the boys ticket, caught hold of an Engineer boy with a Laptop travelling with the next day’s internet booking ticket. I was wonderstruck how can an educated working teenager be travelling with next days ticket. The same routine followed, the teenager told the TT that he did not have even 100 bucks. He was travelling to Puttur with the ticket. The TT threatened him to no avail. The teenager looked to be so innocent but determined to cheat. The TT fell for his innocence and let him off to detrain at Mandya and asked him to board the general compartment without ticket and take a chance. I thought why not save this guy by offering him Rs 100/- and asking him to buy a general ticket in Mysore which would have costed him maximum of 70 bucks. Meanwhile I found to be relaxing on the birth and talking to someone on his berth. When I beckoned him he was ignoring me and busy in narrating his travails. I found him to be a cool customer, who hoodwinked the TT.

Next station Mandya, TT was cursing the boy who escaped and happily sent off the Engineer. I was feeling a little guilty that I had advised the boy to escape knowingly he was guilty as per law. I asked the TT why not seize the internet ticket with the Engineer and cancel the ticket next day or take action against the agent, which he said was possible as per rules. The TT said why should we hit the agent below the belt. Lest realizing that in the same ticket next day the genuine customer can travel. I am wondering whether the TT was guilty of dereliction of duty or I was guilty of saving the boy who was willing to pay the penalty to the railways. So strange are the ways of the world.