Cheat-sheet to finding a seat in the Delhi Metro
I’ve been travelling in the Delhi Metro for close to 8 years now and one of things I’ve picked up reasonably well is how to find a seat on the metro. One thing that most Delhites know is that getting a seat is tougher than finding water in a desert. With the odd-even rule coming into effect on the 15th of April, finding a seat is just going to get tougher. So I thought I’d share some of my wisdom on the best ways to get a seat in the metro. The list is also full of generalizations but is not meant to offend any particular community or profession.
Given below are the types of people that you need to either stand next to or avoid being near in the metro –
If like me you travel early in the morning then you’ll be travelling at a time when children are going to school. Find these kids and stand in front of them. The next thing you need to observe is the school logo on their uniform. After a few attempts you’ll know which school lies at which stop and you’ll be able to get a seat accordingly.
Never stand next to old people or older women (above the age of 40) – As horrible as this may sound, the reason behind this is that such people almost always expect you to give them a seat if the one in front of you has been vacated. Not just that, people who vacate seats usually end up giving them their vacated seat. So it’s better to avoid such situations in the first place.
If you’re travelling in the morning, never ever stand in front of an office going person who has a laptop bag. Such persons usually travel either to Gurgaon or Noida since most offices are there. Since the stations in Gurgaon and Noida are last stations on the line, you are not likely to get a seat till the end. Using the same logic, if you’re travelling towards either Gurgaon or Noida during office hours then you have a good chance of getting a seat if you’re standing in front of an older person. They usually get off at stations that are near residential blocks.
Always stand in front of a person who is only carrying a tiffin box in a jhola bag of sorts. The type of bag that the person carries often says a lot about the profession that they’re in. Like I mentioned in my previous point, a laptop bag indicates an IT professional travelling to either Gurgaon or Noida. Similarly a jhola bag or a tiffin box bag usually indicates that the person is a government employee. This means that the person will get off at either Barakhamba Road, Mandi House or Pragati Maidan. You always have a high chance of getting a seat with such people
If you notice that the person is carrying court documents (usually a leather file of sorts) that usually indicates that the person is either an advocate or is going to court for some matter. These persons are likely to get off at Pragati Maidan which is where the high court is. This has actually worked for me on a few instances.
If you notice touristy people on the metro then you should definitely stand in front of them. These persons usually get off at Akshardham Temple, Qutab Minar or wherever there’s an important monument. You can plan to get a seat accordingly.
Never ever stand in front of either a person who is sleeping or is watching something on their phones. These are the people who are regular travellers and are usually likely to travel for several stations. You’re not likely to get a seat with them.
If none of this works then stand in front of women who look like housewives. They’re usually the ones in the sarees. They usually get off at stations near residential areas. These residential stations like Anand Vihar and Mayur Vihar lie just before the IT hubs so you’re likely to get a seat for a few stations.
The idea is to keep your eyes open and observe the people around you. Each person has a distinct trait. Observe their clothes, their accessories and their behaviour/body language. Observe and make your own deductions. In fact I often make it into a game to see if my predictions come true. Trust me, it’s really fun to do. Keep doing this for a while and I assure you that you’ll find yourself with a seat more often than not. If you still don’t find one, it’s ok, just find yourself a nice little space to stand and settle down with a book. I often travel as many as 30 stations without getting a seat. Some days you just aren’t lucky. I hope this article helps you when you’re travelling and was written with the aim to encourage you to observe the world around you. If you’re going to be immersed in your phones all day then you’re sure to miss out on these little things that make life so much more exciting.