On Saturday night I had a horrifying experience on the Ring Road in Delhi University outside Jubilee Hall. It was around 11.25 pm (June 18) when I was coming from Delhi University guesthouse after meeting some guests. I wanted to hire and auto rickshaw. I stood there for almost 30 minutes but none was ready to go by the meter. During daytime it takes almost Rs 34 and including the night charges the fare would have come to Rs 50 only. I was ready to shell out Rs 60 still none was ready to go to Old Rajinder Nagar. The minimum a driver asked was Rs 75. Rest were all asking for more than that, some even asking for money in three figures.

Well, a blueline bus came plying on route number 971 (Rohini Avantika-Anand Vihar). I boarded the bus along with my friend it till Kingsway Camp because from there one can easily get an auto rickshaw at reasonable rates. That’s when the drunk conductor came to me and asked for Rs 10. I thought he is assumed I am going to Rohini, that’s why he is asking for more money. But he told me that it is night and it is he who decides how much money I got to pay him. Ideally I was supposed to pay Rs 4 for the two of us. When I asked for the tickets, he refused. When I asked why is he doing such a thing and I told him that I would complain.

He got agitated and came to bash me up with a huge iron rod. He nearly lammed me up with the rod but at the right time, I got hold of the iron rod. So he couldn’t hit me. Another of his colleague came to bash me but then few other passengers sitting in the bus started yelling at them. Then he started threatening me saying, “whatever I want to do I can do.” He also dropped some SHO’s name, which I couldn’t remember saying, “we know him and instead we will get you in trouble.” Even the other guy started, I think even he was the conductor, hurling abuses at me and pushed me. They all assumed I was a student and can do nothing. Even I never told them that I am a reporter, otherwise he could have got more aggravated. It was tough pacifying him. Coz. I didn’t know when he would bash me up with the rod. As the first time I was able to grab it. But he was still holding the rod pointing at my head. Somehow I told him nicely that I am very scared of him and won’t ever utter the word complaint again and I am sorry. Please leave me now.

It was then that he shouted at me using the choicest of swear words, “Do whatever you can. The bus number is 7838 and nothing will happen to us. And even if you try and complain about this, wherever you are we won’t leave you.” They then pushed us from the bus. I was stunned by the whole incident. Although my friend who is a student in the university wanted to respond by bashing them, but I contained him somehow. I never wanted to create a scene there and that too with conductors, drivers and their pals sitting next to them. Delhi at night is really scary and unsafe. God save bus passengers from the tyranny of such goons who come in the disguise of blue line bus conductors and drivers.

The antithesis of the whole incident was that as soon as I was pushed down from the bus, I bumped into an auto rickshaw driver. This time I was ready to pay even Rs 100. But when I asked he said that he would go by the meter. Only thing was I had to pay night charges. What else did I want? I hired him and this driver was worth praising. Even after midnight, he stopped at each and every traffic signal and obeyed rules to the hilt. Hats off to such guys!