Flash Post 253!

By the way, did you read about a weird bit of news in the TOI last Sunday?

I may have but tell me nevertheless, Button.

This incident took place in Chennai where a bus conductor with the State Transport Corporation was issued a memo for letting a pigeon travel in the bus without a ticket! Late Thursday evening, the only government bus connecting Harur town to Ellavadi, a far-flung tribal village, was winding its way through forests with more than 80 passengers on board. As the bus reached the outskirts of Harur, ticket-checking inspectors flagged the bus for ticket inspection. One of the passengers, allegedly in an inebriated condition, had caught a pigeon when it perched on a window and was having a conversation with the bird. Seeing the pigeon in the bus, the inspector asked the conductor if he had issued a ticket to the pigeon! He also quoted some rule that insists on tickets for animal and bird passengers. At this point, the conductor explained to him that the passenger wasn’t carrying the pigeon at the time of boarding. Not impressed with his explanation, the inspector issued a memo to the conductor.

This is too funny for words, Button. Please continue with the story.

An official entered the fray and quoted transport department rules as saying that conductors should collect one-fourth of the full passenger fare when a passenger boards a bus with more than 30 birds at a time. The rules, however, don’t mention charging passengers for transporting one pigeon. Another senior TNSTC official in the Salem division said that he’d wait till Monday to see what the inspector has to say. He also said that appropriate action will be taken if any rule was broken!

All this tamasha over a pigeon that didn’t accompany the passenger in the first place! And when no fare is to be levied if passengers board a bus with only one bird!

Did I manage to report the incident well?

You did a very good job, Button.