On Cycling-13

Tell me, have you ever attempted to carry a bicycle with you on a train? I did, and the experience boggled my mind.

Once the dye was cast to conduct Cycle Yatra-2 in Gujarat (end April-early May), preparations were made in advance except for the actual date due to the VIP availability for the important flag-off ceremony. Guessing the VIP dates is trickier than playing Russian roulette.

Finally, we got the VIP date, and the chase began. Dispatching the cycle from Greater Noida, where our cycles were kept ready through trucks, was ruled out because delivering them to Gujarat would be impossible in less than 48 hours.

So, what next? By air would be an option, but expensive and hence ruled out. That left the rail option. We had no experience in rail freight movement. We were puzzled. There is no point in tweedling one’s thumbs. Find a solution, buddy, we told ourselves.

Inquiries with freight forwarders were hilarious. No two officials in the same organization had the same answer. One assured, it was doable on such short notice and quoted a price of Rs.1,800 per cycle. However, he said he would share the correct price and documents required for such a shipment through Whatsapp. It never came for the next three hours, despite repeated calls! He never picked up his phone. Smart move!

A little later, a lady at the same freight forwarding business enterprise on the phone demanded the full narration of our requirements. We obliged. Her response: Impossible. You must book four days in advance to carry your cycles on the same train you would travel. Madam, your colleague told … She disconnected the call.

The next call turned out to be lucky. The man who promised to deliver answered and reassured us it would be done. Where to come and whom to meet for this task, he did not share. Again, a disconnect.

That’s when I approached a senior ex-railway acquaintance to figure a way out of this challenge — first by phone and then via texting him. He neither answered my call nor responded to the message. Very busy, possibly. No issues. Hota hai, hota hai.

Then I remembered a close family friend based in Chennai who retired recently from the Indian Railways from a senior slot again. By God’s grace, he responded to my call and promised to fulfill my desire to move the cycles to Gujarat by rail in the same Rajdhani Express I would be traveling the next day.

Except for praying, I had no options. The clock was ticking. My colleague and fellow cyclist was equally tense. What if? Tension and irritation played tango. One positive outcome of this tense-filled time was that I successfully trimmed my fingernails unassisted with scissors!

(To continue)