Perplexed

"Don't go for the looks, it can be quite deceiving." Or so was the adage. Since time immemorial, we have been taught to never judge a person by his looks.

Looks Can Be Deceiving

These same words continue to rattle me everyday, as I travel from my home to office. An hour of train journey in a extra crowded first class compartment is an unlikely setting for such a thought.

To give you a background, trains in Mumbai have two classes of compartments - first class and second class. Out of the 9 or 12 coaches, almost 75 to 80% of the coaches are second class, while the rest are first class. The distinguishing factor between them are the red or green stripes on the first class compartments.

Now comes the catch. Every day as I travel, I come across someone who possibly (forgive my judgement) may not have a first class ticket or a first class season ticket, yet has boarded the compartment (almost always naively). 

I leave my judgment to my silent mind, not letting it speak aloud, and requesting the person to get down.

I am Perplexed

However, another part of my mind urges me to tell the traveler that he has mistakenly boarded the first class compartment and get down immediately, lest the Ticket Checker get hold of him. However, at this moment, the adage, which I mentioned at the beginning, comes ringing aloud and almost always wins.

I don't say a word to him. Many similar travelers also don't say anything. Some do offer a piece of advice to the naive traveler. And if the innocent man manages to travel to his destination, with out coming across a TC, I'm happy.

However, just a week or so back, I saw someone enter the first class compartment. I had made my judgement, yet didn't say a word. And just as the train was about to leave the platform, a TC pounced on the ignorant man, and pulled him away - possibly to fine him a precious 100 odd rupees.

I was sad that I didn't alert the guy. If only I had, he wouldn't have been caught. Better still, he would have saved his precious money. All due to the adage.

Perplexing Situation

A few days back, another traveler was the recipient of a similar advice from a fellow traveler. Offended by his remark, that he shouldn't be in the first class compartment, the guy replied - that he was here because he had the ticket to travel first class. The man who offered advice was speechless.

Such contradictory incidents have left me more perplexed. And I am not able to make up my mind on what should I do if a similar incident occurs again.

Silence is Golden. No. Never go by the looks. Maybe Yes. What to do next? I don't have an answer.

What is you recommendation?

Perplexed

P.S. I can at least conclude one thing. If we can educate people so that they can make their own judicious decisions (like in the situations described), my confusion would be solved.