The Mumbai Bus Conductor

--by hinashah4, posted Oct 25, 2012

I use to travel from one crowded part of Mumbai city to another bus in the peak travel hours.

During the forty-five minute journey I couldn't help but notice the conductor doing his job. I saw that he was very diligent and dedicated to his work. After a few days of regular travel on his bus we started sharing smiles. Its very strange to have any interactions with conductors in Mumbai local buses apart from the transaction of buying a travel ticket. But, something about his way of working always intrigued me.

The more I observed him the more I felt I could learn from him; how he did this seemingly boring job so gracefully. I observed how he controlled annoying passengers on super-crowded buses, young naughty kids traveling on half ticket, and cheats who didn't want to buy tickets.

On the last day of my journeys on this bus I wrote him a letter thanking him for doing such a wonderful job, managing people so well, and being so kind-hearted. I gave it to him and asked him to read it later. I got a million-dollar smile in return.

The bus wasn't too busy that day. So, after receiving the letter, he finished selling tickets to the other passengers and found time to come and chat with me. He shared that he was actually an engineer but because of family circumstances he had to become a bus conductor. I was touched by this!

At the end, I felt blessed. I had received a smile and learned something about living and enjoying life from this wonderful man.

6946 Reads

Posted by hinashah4
Oct 25, 2012
Comments (7)

Readers Comments

Navu wrote: i appreciate ur effort and courage of doing this wonderful act. So many times i have thought of doing such a thing but could never do so.

Vallabhi wrote: Great, such a nice gesture. We feel thankful to so many people in our daily life. But rarely share a note of 'thanks'. Thank you very much for sharing. Such a nice way to make somebody feel special. Bless you.

Take care

smileswithhope wrote: Wow! How thoughtful and courageous of you to write a thank-you note to the bus driver. And even more beautiful that you got to learn a little more about each others' lives. I am totally inspired. Thank you for doing this, and thank you so much for sharing! :)

MakeSomeoneSmile wrote: That is great! How nice that you took the time to put your thoughts down for him. I am sure he will enjoy reading them over many times. Nice going! :)

sethi wrote: Thank you for the kindness shown to him . It would have made his day .

princessliz wrote: Thanks for making your self a little bit uncomfortable by showing him appreciation through your letter. Not often do people with unpopular jobs get any recognition for it- even when they're doing it well. Bless you, him and your families!

divanurse wrote: I have travelled to India and I know how crazy it is and what a difficult job to drive a bus probably with no air. I am sure you brought sunshine to his day.

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