The BEST stories

 
BEST Bus Facts (As of January 2010) taken from BEST site


• About 45 lakh people travel daily in Mumbai via bus.

• Total number of buses in Mumbai is about 3500.

• Approximately 350 to 370 routes their in Mumbai.

http://www.bestundertaking.com/
For the last 8 years or so I am one of those 45 lakh fortunates who travel/sleep by a BEST bus in the morning for an hour to reach office and in the evening for about 20 minutes to reach Andheri station from the office. For almost 8 years I was the first passenger in the first bus of route number 533. Being a regular user and a Bus fanatic, I have got my share of the BEST stories. Some of the drivers and conductors know me (mind - your knowing them does not help, they need to know you) and I am mighty pleased about it. Prerogatives include

- a waving by a driver if he sees me on the road
- looking out for me in the morning before starting the bus if I am not there
- gesturing and stopping a bus from an auto/car in an unscheduled stop to get in.
- being invited to tea with them
The above things have happened – no reason they’ll repeat. Nevertheless they have happened with me
Side by side I have also stories of the bus not stopping even when my shoe got flown off while boarding, being asked to get down and form a queue before boarding etc.
Twice or thrice I got carried over to next stops as I had fallen asleep (the last one being last Saturday)

Here is the first story: One morning when our bus was speeding on the Vashi bridge, the conductor while trying to put the collection in his shirt pocket misjudged his pocket location and the entire money fell off his hand. The breeze on the bridge soon saw the notes flying – first towards the entrance and then out of the bus into the creek below. He got the bus stopped , went out for the notes. There was no chance that the notes would in that strong breeze wait for him on the bridge. As soon as he re-entered I enquired about the amount lost and handed over the 200 rupees I had. This came as a big surprise for him. He accepted the money and offered to return me the same next day. Sure enough the next day he got very fresh notes ( I know not from where). On my refusal to accept that, he seemed to be a bit disappointed. But our bonds grew stronger. I don’t see him on duty now a days.
The second story goes back to the KBC days. That night I was so busy reading the Mahabharat, that I overshot my stop. An agile conductor immediately approached me – I thought for an extra ticket. But no - he was finding out from me as to what the next steps would be. How would I reach home etc.
My experience tells me that these duo managing the buses are normally very nice and amiable people.They have a herculean task of driving on the crowded streets, collecting money from 45 lakh passengers in the rain, in the sweltering heat and in the ever increasing pollution day in and day out. They along with the local train drivers (known as motormen) keep the commercial capital of the country on the move daily. Jai Ho my friends.
Now a story on the Ticket checkers in BEST buses. I find them to be very rough and know-alls. Imagine the scene at Andheri Station one night. I found some 8-10 of those blue shirt TCs laughing and shouting away and on the verge of dancing. Actually they were celebrating the sixes which Sourav Ganguly was hitting against Sri Lanka in his massive 189 RUNS. That was a pretty good sight. Sourav – hats off to you. You  made those ‘kharush’ TC s laugh and celebrate.
To me BEST is still the best in the country. Long live the BEST.