To be or not to be good:

Well, I don’t know how many of you read my 1st blog “A Beginners guide to Mumbai or Bombay (if you dare). Going by the various inconsistent widgets and gadgets I have painstakingly gathered and pasted in my blog, traffic to my blog could vary from 47 to 35 (at the time of posting this blog). I don’t know why the Aussies don’t show up in my flag counter, but the world map indicates that 6 of them read my blog. Anyway all that is beside the point. I had mentioned almost in jest (in my earlier blog, referred to above) that you should not be foolish to offer your seat to old and pregnant women on the local train (If you are interested please see Rule No 3 under the sub heading “Local” Rules-Blog dated March 9th 2010).

Today I was travelling as usual by the local Mumbai train when this old lady boarded the train. I debated for a while to myself whether I needed to offer my seat. A couple of stations passed by. I was still debating and feeling awfully guilty. But considering that the train was over crowded (to say the least), I was tired, and I still had 45 mins of travel left, I was not in the least inclined to be good. I thought back to my childhood and wondered if it had been my parents or my teachers who had taught me to offer my seat to the elderly. Well I could not recollect… however I was sure that, the thought had not originated from me. Now would it make me a better person if I did offer my seat in spite of my own discomfort..that was the thought that kept me going for a few more stations. Finally (conveniently) two stops ahead of my destination, I decided that the old lady was finding it more and more difficult to balance herself and did the only fair and decent thing any human being should do.

Did I mention that all the other passenger (in that particular enclosure) were either pretending to be asleep or averting their eyes. But does that justify my action? or inaction ? Guilt does not make good company.