Life of the Bus Conductor Essay – 450 Words
“A factory worker, if educated, can be many times more useful and a prosperous earner.”
The life of the bus conductor is surely very exciting. The bus conductor is usually a man of great (vast) experience meeting and talking with all sorts of people, poor and rich, young and old, good and bad alike. He knows the secrets of life that we as passengers don’t know even a little. The bus conductor’s working day begins at his home or quarter where he wears his bus uniform early in the morning. After having a hurried breakfast, he goes to the main ticket office of his bus company. There he gets the bag of tickets and begins his daily work on the bus. All kinds of travelers begin getting on the bus.
The bus conductor tells them loudly where the bus is going to take them-A, B, C, D, E, etc. He issues tickets to them and puts the money in his bag. He blows the whistle and the bus starts moving. He stops the bus on the way to let the passengers get down at the bust-stop. Sometimes the bus moves beyond the stop, and there is an exchange of hot words between them after which he stops the bus.[the_ad id=”17141″]
The bus conductor’s greatest problem on the bus is to get the fare from young or old people who want to travel without paying it. Sometimes he has to face their abuses or beating. He may have to take the bus to the police station when some travelers decide to attack him or the driver physically or damage the bus. The conductor’s second greatest problem is to control an overloaded bus. He cries and howls to the disturbed people to sit or stand at ease and to get their tickets. Several people get down without tickets. He may have to run after some of them to get the money.
There are some very difficult moments (very short intervals of time) during a conductor’s duty hours when the driver starts the bus and a passenger. is getting down and there are loud cries of protest. The driver is at times very angry (annoyed) with him when he stops the bus again and again (repeatedly). He may get down in anger deciding not to drive anymore. It is with great difficulty that the conductor brings him back to the driving seat. The conductor often has a difficult time with the police. If he or the driver breaks the traffic rules, he is checked or “challaned”. If he is not wise in his behavior towards the police, he cannot perform his duties satisfactorily (properly). The bus conductor returns home in the afternoon after handing over the bus to another conductor (for the afternoon shift). The afternoon or evening shift is perhaps more demanding or taxing (or exacting) as the conductor has to face the attacks of darkness, dazzling lights and bitterly cold wind in the winter.
Life of the Bus Conductor Essay – 550 Words
Drivers and conductors are a class by themselves. Every Omni bus and Mini-bus has a driver and a conductor. The driver controls the Auto horse; and the conductor controls, rather dictates the passengers. The driver also receivers signals and instructions from his ‘Second – the conductor. One sees a stream of buses, minis and coaches on the main roads racing, over-taking and plying up and down. The poor passengers are shaken to the marrow of bone. They are mostly at the mercy of the conductor.
You will seldom find such an ideal co-operation and coordination anywhere else as between the bus driver and conductor. Greed for money is the cementing factor between the two. The common man is helpless. He/she must travel by buses and bear the affronts of and take commands from Mr. Conductor. The worst part of the journey is overloading by the conductors. The public has to travel like prisoners of war without protest or any appeal. As whole bus conductors are rude, uncourteous, impolite and given to easy quarreling. Your ‘Sharafat’ (respectability) and meekness are your weakness. [the_ad id=”17142″]
In the rotten lot, if there is a different chap from the class, he catches the attention of the travelers. I found one; and I can write a ‘feature on the good conductor. I often meet him on my route to the College. He is a short built, middle aged man, with a shaggy beard and a smiling face. He can speak fluently with the passengers in Urdu, Punjabi and Sindhi. I find him very courteous and obliging. Once I boarded the bus in a hurry. I forgot to keep the purse. When he asked me for ticket, I told my helplessness, He simply smiled and said Koi-bat-Nahee (never mind). If some poor person is short of money, he accepts the ‘short or condones the bus fare.
He is very cooperative with the old people, women, and children. He would drop them at the desired places without worrying for the overtakes. He signals the driver to wait and helps the old people and children in crossing the road. He is very free with and loving to the children. He cracks jokes with them on the way. He is equally respectful and obliging to the lady passengers. He always cares for their comfort and safety He is like a friend to the students who call him Chacha (uncle). Chacha has a special regard for old persons. He can not see them travel standing and asks the young blood to oblige their seniors by giving a seat.
One day, I missed my familiar face. I asked the driver about ‘Chacha’. I hope he shall continue to oblige others and eradiate joy about him. Let others learn lessons from him.
