1. Have an Interesting Snippet to Share : Click Here
    Dismiss Notice

An Old Couple & I - In Shocking Sojourn

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by Thyagarajan, Aug 27, 2018.

  1. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    11,640
    Likes Received:
    12,463
    Trophy Points:
    615
    Gender:
    Male
    :hello:
    AN OLD COUPLE & I - IN SHOCKING SOJOURN:hello:
    It was raining cats and dogs. The double-decker bus halted at the last but one stop before reaching its terminus. The time was half past noon and school children in uniform were returning from school, but visibility was poor due to high humidity. But for me and an elderly couple, all other commuters alighted at the stop and then bus proceeded with conductor pulling the bell-rope twice.

    In front row, old man sitting with his wife by the window was mentioning about their grand-daughter as to how thoughtful of her to engage my services to escort them from city to their home at suburb. They were not used to hustle and bustle of rail journey which mode takes less travel time compared to the circuitous bus journey.

    Grand lady responded that probably there was no train service for want of power supply.
    Yes. True. Cloudburst since last evening disrupted power supply to electric traction across the heart of the city and its suburbs.

    Bus young driver - recently inducted was supposed to follow the standard route via highway - a small stretch of which was over the railway bridge. An accident on the highway threw the traffic into chaos. Vehicles of various shapes and sizes stood-still, bumper to bumper and joining this long queue of vehicles would delay the double Decker trip-time and its late arrival at the terminus; and that would earn a blot in driver’s dossier.

    Deliberating thus, the driver Instead of following prescribed route on the highway, took diversion on to a branching road that would lead to terminus via railway level crossing. As he approached the railway level crossing, the electronic wicket gate (barrier) lifted for the traffic to flow from either side.

    Few yards before the Decker could reach wicket gate -the level crossing- the couple and I managed to alight when it was drizzling.
    It was at that moment, I saw a well stocky man hurriedly folded his umbrella and in tearing hurry boarded the Decker with one foot in a poodle of water and other foot on the foot rest at the boarding point of the Decker with his right hand about to hold the railing at the entrance.

    Three different but simultaneous eerie cries rent the air for few seconds. The couple and I stood stunned in the pouring rain as we heard the cry of the passenger in hurry and the cries of the conductor and driver.
    The Decker was in neutral gear and stopped over the rails of electric traction when the overhead wires of the electric traction was fouling with the roof of the Decker.
    The cruel hand of fate extinguished the lives of the driver, conductor and the man-in-hurry instantly.
    Never had I seen a Decker passed or plying across this stretch of wicket gate.

    This lead to a commotion and soon we learnt that the electrocution of the man-in-hurry and the bus conductor and driver was result of the restoration of 440 volts power supply across the overhead transmission lines. The moment the power supply was restored and the man in hurry with one foot in water and one foot on the footboard of the Decker completed the earthing and electric circuit, the occupants and the man in hurry were thus electrocuted.

    The couple and I were thanking our stars and bystanders were in awe of our providential escape.

    A rectangular small notice board hung from the middle of the overhead wicket gate displayed in red “CAUTION Heavy vehicles including goods carrier and buses are not permitted to enter”.
     
    Giri12, messedup and pumpkin01 like this.
    Loading...

  2. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    12,626
    Likes Received:
    16,902
    Trophy Points:
    538
    Gender:
    Male
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]In the absence of a time line and from your title of the blog, I guess it happened years ago. Your usual [​IMG][​IMG]:hello: looks a bit inappropriate in this case. I felt very sad reading about the unexpected accident and the causality.
    Incidentally why do we refer to heavy rains as 'pouring cats and dogs' and not 'dogs and cats'? Is it because alphabetical convenience? As usual, I browsed for a possible reason for this but there was nothing. Instead I found something interesting about this phrase
    You must now know how the jobless guys spend their time!
     
    Thyagarajan likes this.
  3. pumpkin01

    pumpkin01 Platinum IL'ite

    Messages:
    1,780
    Likes Received:
    2,237
    Trophy Points:
    283
    Gender:
    Female
    Thank God, you are safe but sad for the rest. I wonder why people always ignore cautions here :thinking: :thinking:

    Just because we are saved once doesn't mean next time it won't be dangerous......
     
    Thyagarajan likes this.
  4. satchitananda

    satchitananda IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    17,880
    Likes Received:
    25,953
    Trophy Points:
    590
    Gender:
    Female
    That's really so sad. You certainly had a providential escape. Touch wood.
     
    Thyagarajan likes this.
  5. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    13,370
    Likes Received:
    24,115
    Trophy Points:
    538
    Gender:
    Male
    Dear Sri Thyagarajan:

    It is so sad to know the suffering encountered by the passengers of the bus due to the negligence of the driver to read the sign board at the railroad crossing. The passenger completing the circuit is coincidental and he is not to be blamed as it is common for people to board the bus that too in heavy rain.

    Now, I understand why besides such caution display board, they also have a heavy iron rod across the railroad crossing indicating the height so that no vehicle above a certain height could cross.
     
    Thyagarajan likes this.
  6. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    11,640
    Likes Received:
    12,463
    Trophy Points:
    615
    Gender:
    Male
    :hello:IT IS HEARTENING to read the maiden feedback from most notable and senior revered member of IL’ite .
    2. Yes it happened few decades ago.
    3. I quite agree of your observation about inappropriateness of my usual embellishment of the title. It is sad and glad. The end e mojo ought to have been depicting sadness perhaps :disrelieved::tearsofjoy:.
    4. Apropos “cats and dogs” : few hundreds of years ago in Europe dwellings were having thatched roofing’s in which their tamed pets - dogs & cats - sheltered. Sudden rain or downpours results in their falling through the roof into the dwellings and the phrase “it rains cats and dogs” came into vogue among native English men! I do enjoy your conjecture linking the phrase to joblessness among guys.
    5. I wrote this story sitting under the shades of a large tree at the parking lot of SANGEETHA HOTEL@ GN chetty Street t Ngr when my family and son away on shopping spree. It was eve of my DIAMOND anniversary and so we celebrated with luxurious lunch concluding with Falooda. Hence I was bit sleepy and not thought well about usual emoji embellishing title.
    thanks for warming up my heart with your feedback which remains always special to me.
    Regards.
    God Bless.
     
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2018
    messedup likes this.
  7. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    11,640
    Likes Received:
    12,463
    Trophy Points:
    615
    Gender:
    Male
    :hello:Madam sister thanks for your FB.
    2. God was once again on my side.
    3. There were over half dozen instances in my life when I profoundly felt the presence of Omnipresent was always on my side in right time perhaps right moment and with right people. I say right people because it is believed others aura too has a bearing on us.
    God Bless Us All Always.
     
    messedup and satchitananda like this.
  8. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    11,640
    Likes Received:
    12,463
    Trophy Points:
    615
    Gender:
    Male
    Thanks from bottom of my heart.
    2. It is nice to realise the first few FBs have been from veterans.
    3. Many times I wondered how none could indicate to the driver that the vehicle of that size is prohibited from entry through that level crossing as red coloured Double Decker was approaching the level crossing only in snail’s pace. Perhaps it was their destiny & or Almighty willed it that way.
    4. It would be nice to know that the old couple I was escorting were none other than parents of one of my bosom friends
    - an MITian - late Mr JK (Bhopal MIC gas episode)
    Thanks & Regards.
    God Bless Us All Always.
     
    messedup likes this.
  9. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    11,640
    Likes Received:
    12,463
    Trophy Points:
    615
    Gender:
    Male
    :hello:Life is of constant learning not only from observation but from other species including humans.
    2. Despite symbols and propagation of such danger symbols via media and packings people or consumers not bothered much about it . For example fused tube lights are just thrown into open space and the mercury from the glass shell reaches ground
    water and contaminates it. Fishes die of Mercury poisoning.
    Thanks for reading and appreciating it.
    God Bless.
     
    messedup likes this.
  10. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    11,640
    Likes Received:
    12,463
    Trophy Points:
    615
    Gender:
    Male
    @messedup
    Thanks for tapping the LIKE option on the post and on my reply cum thanks to feedbacks . Hope I would be having a moment with your FB or response or reaction too.
    GOD BLESS.
     
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2018
    messedup likes this.

Share This Page