Traveling in buses these days is a real unforgettable experience. More than the traveling, one does not forget the drivers and ‘khalasis’. With all the attention being driven to them, they have overnight become the “knights of the road”. Well considering the fact that they never got such attention before, maybe they deserve it this time. Unbelievably, they have actually become successful in standing out among the rest of the Nepalese population. But if this thing stretches a little longer, people might forget patience and the result is uncertainly waiting in the future.

I can’t help but share this experience when a driver forced an old lady out of the bus because she occupied more space and was unable to adjust in the crowd. It is somehow a compulsion for most people to go through the fuss no matter how irritating it is. I have better understood this thing myself. You got to reach your destination and you only got one choice. So you take it without a second thought. Crisis driven compulsion is what they call it these days. The fact that we are fully aware of our situation and still can’t help it makes it even worse. Being seated in a bus for me has become a rare phenomenon lately. Every day I get into the bus, and it doesn’t fail to disappoint me. I then hope for somebody to give up their seat, but unfortunately no one does. That’s only fair because I travel a short distance. But the people who spend hours traveling, have a really hard time. It’s possible that in future people will start suffering from diseases due to long hours of continuous and tiresome travel. To add to the suffering, the merciless ‘khalasis’ do not fail to disappoint either.

Traveling in buses has become a lot more insecure than it was earlier. Constant threats of theft and pick pocketing face us each time we get into a bus. I have heard people lose money, phones and ornaments in the bus. Fortunately, I haven’t gone through this. There is again the danger of accidents due to overcrowding. There are more people on top of the bus than inside the bus. People are risking their lives to go for work, schools and colleges.

Buses are just one aspect of living that is hit by the blockade. The shortage of cooking gas is another serious problem. It is sad how people are being forced to stay hungry in this freezing cold. And of course relying on electricity is never an option, so by the end of winter, if things don’t get stable, we might have an overflow of some pretty bad news.