On The Train, Jan 24, 2008

I arrived at the station sweating as I was walking very fast to make sure I caught the last train home. It was 2242 when I arrived at the last train going out to Seremban from the station was 2259. I was almost the only one left at the station when the Port Klang train came and went with it’s last group of commuters. A Chinese guy walked towards me and asked me ‘ Ini ada keletaapi pegi Selang ka?’ ‘Mana?’ I said, “Selang, selang, selang’ he said continuously. I was stumped until he said, ‘Itu sana ada pegi Kajang.’ Only then I realized he meant to say Serdang. So I said clearly, ‘Serdang la”. He asked me to repeat that I did. We chatted a bit hime expalaining that he came from Klang and missed the exchange at KL Sentral because he did not now he suppose to get down and cross to the opposite platform for the Seremban train. I shared what I can with him to teach him a bit about the Komuter service. For Rawang, Sentul, Seremban and Port Klang trains you can only change at four stations. KL Sentral, KL Station, Bank Negara Station and if you missed the three the last one Putra Station. Normally commuters will change at KL Sentral but if the were too many people and they want to make sure to get a seat they will back track to KL Station or even Bank Negara. So there we were seating until I saw another commuter came waiting at the other end.

The last train was late and as usual I was already cursing inside. The Chinese guy remarked the train should not have been late because there wasn’t any traffic jam like the normal road. I tried very hard to give a decent smile to his comment but I only managed to say. ‘Itu la pasal kadang-kadang banjir dan rosak.’ I was of course being cynical in that reply. Eventually the train came at 2320 and when it approached the station I had to squint to see the sign to make sure it was indeed a Seremban train. The sign a bit smaller but was a LED display tat made be a bit made. Only when I was standing to board I realized it was a new, or at least anew refurbished train. The seats inside were arranged just like the STAR LRT. You get slightly less seats with this new arrangement but more room for standing commuters. It was a pleasant surprise and I like it. That at least made up the disappointment that I just had. The seat was a bit higher then before though that my laptop slanted when I put it on my lap.

Of course on the last train you get tired and sleepy faces as your fellow commuters. Except for one or two faces smiling and laughing at their handphone, obviously chatting with friends at the other end of the line.