Undoubtedly, Delhi Metro has maintained its reputation as a safe and assured mode of public transport. It is also one of the most user-friendly systems and travelling is so easy and convenient that even a first timer can use it without any hitch.
One needs to only keep a few things in mind like reading signages carefully and listening to announcements that let a passenger keep track of the stations.
If one fails to heed these, one may face minor problems. The trouble is, the Metro ride is so smooth and comfortable that quite a few people tend to doze off. Or else, particularly on long rides, one tends to read books, get engrossed with the mobile phone or watch films on the laptop. And one can easily miss an announcement or one’s station. A colleague narrated how she inadvertently got into the train going to Vaishali instead of Noida and, since she had a hectic day and was tired, promptly fell asleep.
When she woke up, she saw an unfamiliar landscape outside and then heard the announcement that the train was approaching Kaushambi! She scrambled out and retraced her route back to Yamuna Bank and then Noida. Another colleague laughingly recalled how a middle-aged lady faced a similar predicament.
The lady, who appeared to be well-to-do, was listening to music on her mobile phone and so did not pay attention to the onboard announcement. She was headed for Vaishali but had boarded the Noida-bound train on the Blue line. She had meant to change trains at Yamuna Bank but was lost in her music. As the train entered Noida, she became aware of her situation. She panicked and almost broke down before co-passengers guided her out.
An elderly gentleman could not help quipping that with her ears blocked this was bound to happen