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Ticket not valid Sir!

It was quite a humiliating and frustrating experience I suffered this morning. "Your ticket is booked Sir," said my man as he handed me the railway ticket last night. "The agent said your ticket has been confirmed, he wished you a happy journey Sir!" I took the ticket, placed two alarm clocks next to my bed and got up at the unearthly hour of four, so that I could get ready and catch the train, which according to my man, left at five thirty in the morning.

"Ticket not valid Sir," said the ticket collector as he took my ticket and wrote something on it. "But my travel agent said my ticket was confirmed," I said helplessly, as the ticket collector checked another passenger's ticket. "Ticket not valid Sir," he said, "and please get off Sir, the train is going to leave any moment." I looked into the compartment. It was a happy bunch of people that were sitting there. The train was on its way to Goa. There were guitars and banjos on the luggage rack, and one youngster was already strumming his instrument while his companions looked on happily.

"Sir please get off the train," said the ticket collector.

"If I don't get off, can I travel and pay the penalty?" I pleaded. "I have a very important appointment that I cannot cancel." "Sorry Sir, " said the TC. "I will have to call the police if you do not get down." "Do you know who I am?" I asked angrily.

"No Sir, nor am I interested Sir. All I know is that you cannot travel in this train. Get down Sir!" I got down and rushed into the station master's office. "Need to get on the train," I shouted. "Don't you have an emergency quota?" "Too late Sir, the emergency quota has been used. "I walked wearily back to the platform. The guard was blowing his whistle and waving the green flag. I looked inside. The boy playing the guitar, was singing as he played. His friends had joined him and so also a number of other people in the compartment.

There was laughter and happiness inside.

The whistle blew and the train was off.

I walked sadly back to my car, where my driver had decided to wait to see whether I had got on before he left.

Did he know something I didn't, I wondered.

I looked at the ticket in my hand. The agent had fooled me. The train was already far away. I could still see in my mind the happy faces of the people inside, who had bought valid tickets.

From which agent have you bought your ticket my friend? Is it some agent who has made you invest your whole life in philosophies that are meaningless, some religious leader, some godman, some tantric, who promises you a ticket to a better world? It would be awful if you stood like me on the steps of a glorious train ride and were told, "ticket not valid Sir." And the station master telling you, "too late..!" Check out your agent today.

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