bharatiya rail: aapka khushbudaar humsafar

I am sure that most of us have traveled in Indian Railways at least a few times during our lifetime. The level (or lack of) cleanliness is no secret and over time there are parts of every railway platform and railcar that develop a permanent stink.

The Railways has reached its innovative best to come up with a solution so that this stink does not bother the passengers: A perfumed railway ticket. Very aptly, the first ones to get the perfumed tickets are the regular travelers with monthly passes; after all, their stink-smelling quotient is the highest!

I am sure that over time railways will find more ways to use the perfumed tickets. A few years from now when you will enter a railcar, you will pass thru different fragrences.

“arre yeh to gulaab hai, aage chalo, yahan to Mumbai janewalon ki seat hain”.

If you ask a TT or a porter for directions to your seat they will smell your ticket and say,

“agle dibbe main chad jaao, aur phir santara aur kewra paar karke jab chandan ki mehak aane lage to baith jaana”.

The announcements on the public address system will be simplified,

“kripaya dyaan deejiye, jin logon ke paas mogre ki khushbu wali ticket hai woh platform number char par aa jaayen”.

And above all this will be a big boon for the illiterates in the country as there would be no need to read the ticket anymore!

Isn’t this called a win-win situation?