Another First

Today is my first long distance train journey outside India. In the past couple years I developed a liking for train journeys in India, but was always fascinated by LD train journeys outside India. I had a similar fascinating experience when I boarded the subway train for the first time in Canada. First journeys in a new country are usually daunting. But mine wasn't. It was indeed funny.

The subway station was located very close to my hotel, approx 700 mts. But I wasn't aware of it. When I came outside the hotel, I asked a passer-by about the directions to the subway. The place where I stayed was residential and I guess there were very few who took a train to office or to anything. She said she did not know much and that she hadn't traveled by train but could fairly guess where it was. I followed her directions and reached the station.

I was trying to understand the place when I saw a pretty latino girl with her father near the station gate. I went to her and asked her to direct me to the ticket counter. She was happy to help and they took me with them to the booking counter. Now, here comes the strange part. They don't issue tickets in Toronto. (I don't know if they do in NY). You go to the drop box, drop the fare and enter the station. But no paper or any kind of ticket whatsoever. It was really really strange. I felt rather incomplete. Even cheated, that they don't issue tickets to passengers who pay the fare. I was wondering what kind of proof I should show to the ticket checker if he ever came to me to ask for my journey tickets.

Add to it, another factor of human kindness. The latino said that she had bought a regional transport pass for her mother the previous day. And since the passes in toronto are transferable (another strange thing, but has helped me immensely since I came here), she allowed me to go with her inside the station. It was a free entry for me. I wanted to go and tell her that I wouldn't have anything to show to the ticket checker if he came to me and I should buy my own ticket. But I felt scared of raising a stupid concern. So I did not talk to her after all, except two well mannered thank yous.

You may say that there isn't anything funny about this journey. The fun part is in the fact that my heart was pounding with anxiety while my eyes were constantly on the lookout for the ticket checker, lest he enter the train and ask me for my tickets. The subway doesn't have mirrors and so I couldn't see myself, but am very sure that I looked like a scared frog ready to croak and jump off the leaf at the very next sound.

Note: I am thoroughly enjoying the train journey, with the ocean on the right side and beautiful trees decorated with fall colors to my left. Wish there was that special person with me today.