Most of us have traveled in trains. We have often seen a lot of different people in the train. Here's a list of a few type of people that you might meet.
The Irritating Kid: He/she jumps around the entire place. He/she will step on you. Spill food items on you and might even play football with your footwear. He/she is like Bart and Shinchan rolled into one. His/her parents can't handle him so they just let him loose. He/she can be pain in the ass if he/she is sitting near you but can be a source of awesome entertainment if he/she sits a little away but within visible range.
The Canteen Aunty: She will have more food than other things among her luggage or maybe more than a mini canteen. Her main aim in life is keep feeding everyone. She is in a way like Hippo, just that she's not always fat. Continuous food is her way of keeping her kids in control. Once the kids settle down with food she will start targeting strangers around her with her food army. Her aim in life- Leave no stomach empty. She can be a blessing if you are traveling without food.
The Window Seat Lover: They are becoming rare but are definitely there. They will come early to the station just to get that window seat. They will always give it as a preference when reserving tickets. They don't care about what happens inside the train as long as there are pleasant scenes outside. They will sit and stare outside for hours together. They are not affected by direct sunlight or by a sudden stench. They notice things which are far away. They often listen to music while they are staring although their eyes will be busier than their ears.
The Music Lover: They are everywhere. Headphones have made more people music lovers than the invention of radio. People can now listen to all kinds of songs they want to without disturbing people and without having to worry about what people will think of their choice in music. This category of people don't care about what they are doing, they will always listen to music. They are always hooked to music. They can be irritating if you are travelling alone with them. So, always carry a music player and a pair of headphones. You never know when you might need them.
The Restless Soul: They will keep moving around the train. They will get down at all the stations. They will keep looking here and there and keep changing their sitting positions. They will keep moving around the bogey when the train is running even though it means making fellow passengers uncomfortable. They will visit the washroom so often that you think they might have a bladder control problem. They are just plain restless. I wish I never have to sit next to one.
The Reader: They will read everything. Newspapers, books, magazines, railway boards, instructions painted inside the train, newspapers that others are already reading, stuff written behind a pack of chips. Anything and everything. They look like a child who has just learnt how to read. Sometimes when you look at them it might feel like they are staring at you but actually they are reading that funny quote on your shirt or maybe something written on your bag. Don't be afraid. They are harmless.
The Nosy Aunties: We've all met them, haven't we? They are everywhere. They will ask you everywhere. They want to know if you study or work, where do you live (the exact address), if you have siblings, if the person you are travelling with is your sibling or girlfriend or wife, if you have been to a place before, if you have relatives there, if you have an opinion about any recent women related issue (even a saas bahu serilal qualifies), if you are also tired of the weather, if would want to eat, if you are allergic to something (do they qualify?), when you will return, if you could get their bag down when you leave, if you will watch their kids while they get down at the station to meet a relative they had called to meet and a world of other things. Beware. Sit away. Far far away.
The Gamers: They might play hand held video games, or cards or maybe any other game. They are a bit restless as well but atleast they are doing something productive. They will invite you to play with them if you stare with intent. Be careful, it should not be creepy, just act curious.
The Phone-a-Friend: They will always be talking on the phone. They are not even a wee bit worried about the ear drums of the person sitting next to them. A person selling nimbu pani on the station can easily hear what the person is talking about. They will talk about anything from the stock market to cricket to cooking tips to travel plans to just plain gossip. They are loud. They are annoying.
The Cleanliness Freak: They will keep all their waste with them. They will switch off fans which are not needed. They will keep a big polythene with them so that they can encourage/force others around them to dump their garbage in them rather than flinging it out from a moving train. They make a face when you throw flowers or coins outside when the train passes over a bridge.
The Less Privileged: They ask for alms. They have some physical deformity or they carry small kids who look like they've not been fed since a year. They go from person to person asking for money or food (mostly money). There are so many of them that if you decide that you'll give Rs 5 to everyone who comes then you will mostly spend more on them than what you paid for your train ticket. [I am personally against giving any kind of money. I know that most of the times that money is used for alcohol or drugs. So I sometimes give food to old people or to young kids.]
The Ticket Checker: This category doesn't just include the government appointed guy. The one who takes money and upgrades you from second class to chair car or two tier ac. It also includes that occasional dumbass who gets into the wrong compartment and then demands you to show your ticket so prove that the reserved seat that you are sitting on is actually yours. They usually end their conversation with," Oh, this is S2, I though this was S1. Sorry haan." Do you know the full form of TT? It's traveler's ticket examiner.
The Enthusiastic Seller: They sell a lot of different stuff. They sell combs, safety pins, food, fake jewelery, books, newspaper, drinks etc. They are usually very enthusiastic. They have a smile on their face inspite of the hardships in their lives because no one buys stuff from a person who roams around with a long face. The enthusiasm and energy with which they sell stuff is contagious. You feel inspired. Atleast I do.
The Know It All: Yes, we've all met them. They know everything about the journey. They know the sequence of the stations that will come. They know when the train is supposed to reach all stations. They know which station is famous for what food item. They sometimes even know the ticket checker. They know which train will pass your train at what time. They even know the names of all the rivers that the train will pass over. They know when the general compartment of the train will be crowded and when it will be empty. They are like the wiki of railways.
So these are the categories I could come up with. The list is definitely not exhaustive. You know more categories? Let me know :)
More importantly, which category do you fall under?
