Arbit Raj

Yesterday I was travelling by the usual Volvo bus from Pune to Mumbai and I had a experience that troubled me. A Volvo bus has a 2x2 seating arrangement. I was seated on the left pair of seats with one seat vacant. Similarly there was one female sitting immediately behind me with the other seat vacant. Three stops down from where I had got in, a female got onto the bus, came down the aisle, and stopped near my seat. I got up to let her move in towards the window seat. I could not sit immediately because there were some more people moving up and down the narrow aisle. And then I saw the first female sitting behind talking with the second one who had just come in and gesticulating. I sat down and was quite taken aback to hear the first female going on and convincing the second female quite fervently to come and sit beside her instead and avoid a male on the other seat. Not that the second female needed much convincing. So I moved aside and let her pass....

This bothered me. I can empathize with their case, because their fears were valid - on an average, yes! But at the same time it felt quite rude and insulting deep down. Because I heard stuff like "it would be a problem", "its not comfortable", "its safer", which were really politically correct ways of saying "Hey, this guy beside you might be a pervert or the sorts who likes to grope in the dark".

Feels weird to be considered equal to a lecherous male, high on hormones and low on self-control. Hey, I need another seat. I'm not comfortable in this position!