No, don’t blame me for discussing such strange ideas. Blame Steven_Ber, the resident train expert at Indiamike. He has posted a photo of a young man in Assam who climbed on the top of the train to ask Steve “which country” you are from! That means Steve was traveling on the top of a train too! Now that makes me envious, really go green with envy. I wish I could post Steve’s photo here but for now you have to hop over and see the image of people traveling on the top of the train on Indiamike.
Now all I can talk about is traveling on the top of a bus way back in the college days. However, that was not the age of digital cameras or camera phones (in fact there were no mobile phones even) so I do not have a picture of my journey. Instead I can share a picture of people sitting on the top of a bus at Leh Bus Stand.
People on the Top of the Bus- Leh Bus Stand, Ladakh
I used to travel for a different reason during school and college days. I used to represent my school and college (sometimes the state too) in various sports meets. We had gone to Tonk to participate in a sports meet back then when I was in college (and no, I have not explored the town as a tourist). When we were coming back, the bus was really crowded. So, 4-5 of us out of the 20 odd girls that made our squad decided that we were better off at the top of the bus rather than inside the bus. I do not remember much of the journey other than we had to duck hard when the bus went close to a tree with low hanging branches. I wonder if I would do such a thing again if I get a chance?
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks Kusum.
It was in North Karnataka.
Thanks for sharing Prashanth, that looks like a luxury bus top tour where as when we went there even the top was crowded!
Answer to your question is my latest post
Kusum, I agree, it is journey that one can’t forget in a hurry! But where was this for you?
Yeah, Once I did travel on top of the bus. Fortunately, it wasn’t in woods but in open. It felt too windy and cold. It was a rough ride and at times felt we would fall off the top. As for experience, well, it was something to remember for rest of our lives
Doli, on the other hand I have never ever traveled on the footboard!Vamsee that does count, thanks for the picture, the two toher people also seem to be equally happy.Shrinidi, I was thinking of the UK tour buses that have open roof top and I saw two such buses in Jaipur too this time! Yes why not, the companies can introduce it!
That could be next way of cost cutting for companies using buses to transport their staff- add another set of seats on the root and ferry twice the number of staff
Mridula,Does sitting on the roof of a boat count? I was going through some random pictures and found this and remembered your blog post. We were trying to take pictures of grizzly bears. I am the only Indian in this picture, towards the back with a camera. http://picasaweb.google.co.in/vamsee.m/Random#5278457968953257938
Ohh my! I have never travelled on top of a bus. Although would have liked to
I have travelled just on the footboard once or twice literally hanging for life onto it 
Hi Mohan, thanks for looking at the scenario with another perspective. I was not thinking of it when I wrote the post.Ah Priyank, that was way back and to be honest i really did not think of safety! Now next time, if there is a next time, your advice will ring in my ears before I attempt any such thing.Bindu, I started as an athlete, switched to TT (that I still play) and in university played basket ball too and then during the Ph.D. days even managed some badminton.Akhila lorry would do pretty fine! And I have actually traveled in a lorry twice!
Sounds like a nice experience. Although I don’t have a Bus experience, but Lorry I do.
With that kind of view, I wouldn’t mind sitting on top of the bus! What sports did you play? I did too, so am curious.
Oh thank God you ducked those branches Mridula! I never had the urge to travel on the top of a vehicle, somehow I don’t find it exciting! But then everyone has their limits between exciting and safety!Now Mohan is right about lack of infrastructure in rural areas. But then, I don’t live there!
Hi Mridula,Well, this is still a common scenario in most of rural India. I have seen many such instances and it is no special thingy for regular commuters. As far as I can recall, there are still millions of villages in India that have a single bus traveling once in the morning and again in the evening.This kind of environment makes them a real life situation than adventure!