Oct 23, 2004 08:57 PM
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(Updated Oct 23, 2004 08:57 PM)
The Legendary Saga of 47D
Long Long Ago, So long ago and as long ago that I don?t remember the exact year, but somewhere around 1995, my encounters with 47D started. It has been nearly 10 years since its birth and I fear that it would still continue for long. Before going into the actual thing, let me give you a small intro about the Bus.
I don?t know the inception dates of the Bus but I feel it should be more than 20/30 years before our meet began. In Tamil Nadu, it had been a custom before that whenever a new regime comes into being, the Bus numbers would be changed. Going by this tradition, the present 47D should have been called 47V in the late 1980?s and in the early 90?s during the Jayalalitha period, it was called 47J. Then since 1996, it was re-christened to the present 47D. The bus plies between Ambattur O.T. (A Northern Madras suburb) to Thiruvanmiyur (A Southern Madras suburb).
My estimate of the distance covered is around 30 Kms and as I write now, it would take at the least 11/2 hours during the morning traffic-less hours and over 3 hours during the peak hours. The frequency of the bus is about one in 10-15 minutes, though I have had experiences of waiting for more than an hour. One of the important characteristics of the bus is its crowd and it has been customary of the bus to ply around with heavy weights at its left because of the tens of people clinging to the bottom footstep, one foot on board and the other on air, clasping whatever part of the bus they get. The bus would sway around almost sweeping the grounds. At peak hours, it would carry more than 120/130.
As of the route taken, the bus starts from Ambattur O.T. , passes through the Ambattur Estate, Padi, Annanagar, Mehta Nagar of the North Madras, then Nungambakkam, College Road, Sterling road, T. Nagar and Saidapet of the Central Madras and Adyar and Thiruvanmiyur of the South Madras. It is not just the distance it covers that attracts swarms of people, the route it takes encompasses industrial estates of Ambattur, offices of Nungambakkam and T. Nagar, schools of Annanagar, colleges of Loyola, Anna University and IIT, tourist spots of Valluvar kottam, Gandhi Mandapam and Children?s park and of course, the shopping areas of T. Nagar. It is a commonly flouted critique that if you want to see or know about Madras, then take a 47D.
How it all began? In early 19990?s, I resided at Padi. Around 1995, my cousins moved to Chennai from Madurai. My younger brother and I used to go alone from Padi to Gandhi Mandapam using the 47D. When my cousin and we two returned back to my home, it was so crowded that it was difficult to breathe. We were small boys then and were caught amidst the crowd. Sweating, dashing and struggling to stand. I enjoy those moments now, though it was horrible then. Another day, during my vacation, we tripped to my cousins? again.
My brother and I waited for a long time. We used to quarrel, as is always between brothers. We waited from 9:30, I think. After half an hour, a 47D came filled with hundreds. We decided not to go by that. We waited another 10-20 minutes. I lost hope and told him that we shall return back. But he did not accept. Then I came back home and he left in the bus, which came a little later. I had a nice archana at home.
Then we shifted our homes from Padi to Annanagar. This 47D trips continued till I think my 12th standard, when my cousins shifted to Coimbatore After the Board exams, I wanted to go for Engineering and I thought I would have to go out of Madras. The results came and fortunately I got a seat within Madras - in the Anna University. But unfortunate my struggles intensified with 47D. The first day of my college came. My college starts at 8:30. So, I need to catch a bus by 7 -7:15 to reach safely.
On the first day, I went all the way standing, nearly 1 hour or so. That too the route is so very curvy and with a lot many turns and curves. So, I had to clutch to the nearby handle to be safe as the bus sways around the city in the early morning. Then on the third day morning, I came around 7:15. I was waiting for around 15/20 minutes. A few minutes waiting in the morning could be disastrous. I went to the next bus stop, so that I could get into another bus ? 147 other than my own 47D. When I got out. I saw a sea of people standing there.
Fearing that it would be difficult for me to make it up, I took an auto to my college. Ever heard anybody telling you about taking an Auto to a college. I did. I was very punctual in my school days and was new to this environment ? College. When I told my friends later about this, everyone had a nice laugh. I laugh at myself now. How could I ever do such a thing? Anyway, the auto man got a nice pay that day ? a hundred rupees. After this episode, I took a different bus route to my college and never ever after that I had waited for it.
The four-year Engineering ended and I thought 47D was all out of my life. But it was not to be the case. I was recruited in a software company near Sholinganallur, some 15 kms away from Adyar. I took up a room nearby my office. Every weekend I have been coming home. I take up a bus from my room to Adyar and then another from there to Annanagar. Now too I have the 47D burden. But I have other options like 147, 41C and 22A. The latter two take a completely different route when compared with the 47D. Except for a seat in 47D, I never get into the bus.
It would be surprising to many that to reach Saidapet or Adyar, I prefer to take multiple buses to a single bus ?47D. It has just not been the pains, the aches, the standings, the pushes, the dashes and the struggles that has stopped me, but rather a mental stigma ? a frame of mind against 47D. Always a Big ?No? to the 47D.
