The daily Stampede on the Delhi metro & sluggish security

An account of vile public manners when alighting & boarding the metro train in Delhi - and the protracted security checks that exist in India

Rajiv Chowk metro station has arrived. People are in such a rush to enter & exit simultaneously, pushing & shoving. Why? If this is normal, then what would happen during a real emergency, such as a bomb or disaster management evacuation (like an earthquake). It begs belief. Central Secretariat & Kashmere Gate are also victims of this. Even herds of cattle walk in a more civilised, synchronised fashion. Is it too much to expect from a higher race - I.e. humans? The guards are paid to do...well not much, as they apatheically watch.

The "heightened" security scanning at these stations causes long queues, meaning passengers often spend up to half an hour before boarding the trains, which are then surprisingly not as crowded. If someone really wanted to blow up the metro, an improvised device such as disguised mobile phone or laptop would go unnoticed. Other major cities who have even been victims of terror attacks (such as London underground) don't deploy any pre checks whatsoever. So why do we even in malls & shops?...they don't check properly

There are incidents where people have still managed to carry knives into premises despite preliminary checks. This all appears to be formality more than anything. Leaving your valuables at the shop entrance, despite the disclaimer that management hold no responsibility for any loss - then falling victim to an unexplained theft which all staff claim to be oblivious to!

The bottom line is that such offenders who insist on & continue to barge, ploughing their way through others, need reprimand by way of hefty fines. Persistent culprits should be banned from using the metro. Only then will passengers learn with such examples set, not to dare misbehave. Stop this mayhem.

Author's Note

Image courtesy of governancetoday.co.in & may be subject to copyright