Teenagers play a dangerous sport on Chennai MRTS everyday. They board the doorless EMU trains at Fort or Beach, and do a “run-and-board” routine at each station: alight when it stops, and make a dash to get in again as it starts moving.
India is a third world country where suburban trains run by the government-owned Railways have no automatic doors. They are operated open and this becomes a virtue as more people pack into coaches in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and so on.
Also, there are numerous teens in the country who have lots of energy and no means to expend it in less dangerous pursuits.
The result is such a game where a miscalculation would send them to their deaths, or leave them maimed. Many such kids don’t buy a ticket, although some may have “season tickets” which cost about two or three dollars equivalent a month.
This scene was captured at Chintadripet station on January 26, Republic Day.
Straphangers United 