Disclaimer: Originally published in September 2017. It is being republished since it still remains an interesting topic till today.
FlippED is An ED Original style wherein two bloggers come together to share their opposing or orthogonal perspectives on an interesting subject.
We are back with FlippED! And this time our two Bloggers are fighting (we seem to do that a lot) about whether to travel every day in the metro or a car. The two bloggers are everyday commuters and veteran Delhi travellers and have seen every dark corner of this city’s transportation system.
I’d take the over-crowded metro to work every day than my car
~Blogger Brinda Sen
First of all, I don’t have a car. I am a fresh out of college graduate who’s on her first job ever. The metro is a lifeline for me, economically. It is easy on my pocket and promises to take me to work on time EVERY DAMN FREAKING DAY.
Why the metro is simply amazing
And it succeeds in doing so. I merrily rolled out to the Patel Chowk metro museum station every morning to be reminded what a modern-day marvel the Delhi Metro service is.
It runs like clockwork and is mostly never ever late. During rush hours it comes at comfortable intervals and yes, the AC WORKS. Despite all the pushing and shoving thanks to our overpopulated country, I never reach work all drained out. Metro vs Cars: Metro all day, every day.
What more does a middle-class working girl need?
The Delhi metro service is the one reason why I can move around Delhi with such ease and confidence. It practically makes everything look like it’s just a stone throw away. I am reassured every day by the quality of its service and accessibility.
I know that even if I miss one train, I may have to wait for a maximum of 10 minutes in extreme circumstances for another train to arrive if the service has not frozen for any outrageous reason.
And why cars are not so amazing
But hey, if I book a cab and the driver cancels on me, there is no guarantee that I will get another cab that will get me to work in 20 minutes tops.
There is no traffic hassle, no discomfort of sharing a car with complete strangers and no feeling of threat from the metro driver I must say. Haha.
Seriously, it’s much safer to take the empty metro at 11 in the night than take a cab. I feel much more in control of my safety when I am taking the metro. Any time of the day.
I understand that the fee hike is going to severely impact the daily expenses of a lot of regular commuters, the mango people. It will be a pocket pinch for me too.
Yet, I’d rather take the metro and reach in 20 minutes than waste 1.5 hours sightseeing Delhi with a random Uber driver.
This driver never really knows where to go, which road to take and even if they are following the GPS, the traffic at any given hour of the day guarantees that I will reach at work at least 20 minutes late!
Not happening. It’s to be Delhi metro for me until they invent teleporters within the next 10 years.
Read More: FlippED: Is Delhi University Really Better Than IP University? Our Bloggers Fight It Out!
If it costs me the same, why not a plush 2 seater instead of a stuffy 1000 seater?
~Blogger 2 Tanmay Mehra
It’s just too damn expensive
Ever since the price hike that the metro underwent recently, the financials don’t make sense to me anymore, I mean it costs a bloody fortune both ways in metro these days.
Adding on to that, there is this thing called the rush hour where you are stuck with 50 other smelly, urgently-waiting-to-run people.
There have been so many instances when I have been delayed because there was so much crowd and I didn’t want a sandwich made out of me. In the battle of Metro vs Cars, cars win for me.
Also, people in Delhi apparently don’t have the common sense to wait for the next train, they just have to get into this one as f they are Jack Bauer from 24 and there is a bomb that will explode if they don’t get there. All of this makes me want to take a cab or my own car.
Sooo many other options…
There is a 3rd option too, carpool, that’s what I do, split the days between me and my friend and then even if the cost is 10 bucks up from what I would spend via metro, its damn well is worth it.
It gives me the freedom and flexibility to go anywhere I want, whenever I want. I can park in the official parking, have no issues trying to find a ride to the nearest station and so on.
If you are worried about traffic, that’s kinda unavoidable. But in a plush seat in full AC with nice music is still better than smelling what everyone had for lunch.
As for cabs, granted they can be a bit finicky, but if you make good use of them, ain’t nothing better. Book before time, have a high rating to get a good cab driver, have your own GPS as a backup and if worst comes to worst, ask the uncle on the road for directions, you’re set!
For me it’s all about the economics, whatever doesn’t affect my balance sheet badly, I am good with.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Washington Post, The Guardian
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