How to evade crowd and get a seat in metro in India

After the advent of wide network of railways, airways and roadways, intracity travelling is made easier and quicker with the introduction of metro.

Since a vast number of people travel via metros to reach their destinations, it becomes very difficult for all people to travel comfortably. Also, it increases the load of people in metros. Various steps followed by the Indian government to meet increasing demand of travellers are:-

1. Introduction of multiple metros in various cities.
2. Increasing number of metros between various junctions thereby increasing coverage of metros within cities.
3. Decreasing waiting time for passengers and between two metros.

However, with a huge number of people, it becomes difficult to stand in metros. Especially during office hours which is usually 8 to 9:30 AM IST and 5:30 to 7:30 PM IST.

I have been a regular traveler in Delhi metro. I have faced various issues while boarding an overloaded metro and reaching my destination on time. However, despite these, I have invented few areas which will benefit us while traveling in metro or waiting for the metro.

Here are few steps that really work and could land you inside metro despite huge crowd and rush.

1. On metro station's platform, there is always a guard who will make you stand in a queue. So don't break the queue initially, just stand in the queue and wait for the metro.
2. Now, when metro arrives and before doors open, slide past people in queue till front gate. This way people won't judge you for breaking line since once doors are open everyone is focused on getting in the metro.
3. When doors open then let other people move out. Since you are in the front adjacent to another person in the queue, that is you are actually forming a second queue, there might be chances that you get pushed aside by crowd who are moving out of the metro. Stay there and once a load of people coming out reduces, then rush inside.

Once metro is boarded, half the battle is won!

But much work is still pending. Immediately once you are inside metro you will be pushed further by the crowd behind you. You have to apply all your strength to move away from this area between doors of metro and move aside to your left or right side.

Now comes the steps to get a seat in the metro.

1. Always stand near the seat in the metro. Never stand in space between seats.

2. If you are women the try to look out for a reserved seat where a male is sitting. If found, then push aside crowd, reach there and get that seat.

3. Never stand near seat on which you can never sit like a physically handicapped reserved seat or senior citizen seat.

4. Always be alert for a vacant seat.

5. Once you have found a seat near which you are standing, pass a smile to the person sitting on that seat. Talk with him or her politely.

6. Ask him/her where is that person heading.

7. If it is before your stop than remain standing there. Else try to talk adjacent seated person politely about his/her stop.

If any of the above probabilities work, get a seat and travel comfortably.

1. You can use a bag or something in your hand to reach out the seats which got vacant but are not within your reach. Once that seat is vacant, you can throw your bag there and reach afterwards, thereby grabbing the seat.

2. If two people are sitting on the seat comfortably, you can squeeze in after asking them politely.

Excuses you can give to grab a seat:-

1. You are not feeling well

2. There is a fracture in your leg

1. You are old

2. You are pregnant

3. You are a child

• If you have a friend which you made while travelling to metro or otherwise whose boarding stop is before you, he/she can save a seat for you.
• If you have a friend who unboard before you then you both can share the same seat half a time.

In an adverse situation when you are not able to stand then you can sit on the metro floor taking help of a pole or driver door.