Tickets Tickets

It happened during my first year at college. Six of us freshies(males) decided to go out to dinner and then a movie on a Saturday evening. This was our ploy to escape ragging and also to skip the monotonous meals that we were served in the mess.

Being freshers we weren’t allowed to have any vehicles. We would 'incur the wrath' of the seniors! Considering the limited funds we had, we decided to take the city bus to Mount Road, the arterial road in Chennai and where most of the theatres are located. Devi theatre complex was one such place. A fine sumptuous dinner over, a much needed tingle for our taste buds, and we headed to the theatre (10pm show). I don’t remember the name of the movie.

Movie over, we again decided to take the city bus back to our college, only a few bucks remaining in our coffers. Damn the guys! They hogged like pigs (I am a connoisseur mind you!).Bus route 1A is available at around 1 midnight and doesnt exactly land us at our doorstep, but within walkable distance. Bus arrives, we budding docs pile in, purchase our tickets (the night charge is double the day fare) and we sit inside “reviewing” the evening. I had the tickets in my shirt pocket and even before the bus could reach the next stop threw out the bus tickets mistaking them for the cinema tickets (you that in India you have the liberty of tossing things out through the window).

Everything goes on fine and the bus reaches the secretariat stop and holy cow! The ticket inspectors get in to check. Non plussed i took out the tickets in my pocket and handed it (they were the cinema tickets) and boy what a way to piss off a checking inspector at midnight. He reminds me that it is the cinema ticket and asks for the bus tickets and only then I realised that I had tossed it out of the window. We then plead with him explaining what had happened. He was in no mood for all that crap and promptly worked out the fine amount. Guess how much? 48x6= (am not good at math ...You peeps work it out!). Bloody hell, we just had a few coins left.

Next what...he takes us to the traffic police station and there we meet the honourable inspector and explained the situation to him, not forgetting to mention that we were from Stanley Medical College (oh we were mighty proud of being med school students). He was a cool chap in his thirties and decides to let us go, admonishing us to be careful the next time. That was my last trip in any city bus.

Moral of the story: don’t litter. If at all you want to clear your pocket make sure you are throwing the right stuff!