Unauthorised passengers in A/C coach

Location/place: Jaipur

Name of company/service: Indian Railway

Yesterday (May 24, 2010), I was seeing off my wife and kids at the Jaipur railway station. They were traveling by Ajmer-Sealdah Superfast (2988) to Durgapur (vide PNR # 2203260160). It was an A/C 3 Tier coach. To my utter surprise I found two persons already occupying the seats booked for my wife and kids. They had no valid reservation. The ticket checker and the coach attendant had no qualms about their unauthorised entry into the coach. They traveled all the way from Ajmer to Mugal Sarai. The space under the seats were packed with their luggage, leaving no space for the valid passengers.
The husband and wife duo with a small kid caused quite a congestion in that limited space. In the night the lady with her kid conveniently slept on the floor between the two berths and the husband loitered around. That was simply a nuisance. They hardly left any space for valid berth holders to get down without trampling on the lady and the kid.
Unauthorised entry in A/C coaches seems to have become a norm than exceptions and a nice way of earning some extra buck for the ticket checkers. The railways appear to be unable to get rid of this nuisance. The usual malpractices in the lower classes have crept in even in the higher classes now. You are never sure of experiencing a convenient and comfortable journey even after paying a premium amount
It’s no surprise the railways are slowly losing their premium class clientele to the air industry. The trains run late. The staff are rude and also corrupt. There are thousands of other problems with their services.
I have promised myself now not to book any railway ticket for my wife and kids when they are traveling unaccompanied by any male member of the family. It’s worth paying for the flight ticket. It saves time and uncalled for regular harassment and is much more secured.