26th Annual Student Research Conference
Hanging on at Breakneck Speed: Tales of the Local Trains of Bombay
Zeeshan R. Reshamwala♦
Dr. Monica Barron, Faculty Mentor
The writer spent two years commuting at rush-hour on the Western Railway that runs from north to south along the length of the Mumbai, connecting the northern suburbs to the heart of the metropolis. Arriving once every three minutes, stuffed to the door, and with many brave, foolhardy souls on the roof, the heaving trains carry fishmongers with baskets of fish, college students, tiffin delivery-men, shopkeepers and office-workers to work. Inside the compartments, the crush of body against body destroys all personal space, all comfort, and all freedom of movement. Despite the war of all and upon all that ensues in order to get standing-room in the carriages, narratives of camaraderie, decency, and even heroism emerge when passengers co-operate to get home with all limbs intact.
Keywords: Nonfiction, Prose, Creative Writing, Trains, India, Security, Urban, Transportation
Topic(s):English & Comm - The New Nonfiction
English
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 308-3
Location: VH 1320
Time: 1:30