Yes, I've written about trams before, in a post with the same name as this. But how could I go to Kolkata again and not create some more tram memories?My grandmother often told me about how her father always gave her the fare for first class tram tickets to college and back. Like so many young people, she took a second class ride and used the money she saved to buy little things that young people want but cannot afford.Now, travelling by tram to work or college is absurd. It takes at least twice as long to commute by tram than by any of the other available options, so really, the tram is just something you experience, rather than something you use.My flat-mate in Kolkata and I had once spoken about how these anachronistic trams could be retained without much loss to the city. "They should make a moving cafe and sell it as an experience for tourists," my flat-mate suggested. I … [Read more...]
Trams in Kolkata
The first time I went to Kolkata, I also went to Darjeeling. I was much younger then, and I was really just visiting my father's city, the place he grew up. We went in a tram, of course, and in Darjeeling, we took a ride in a toy train. Everyone talks about how picturesque that is, something tourists must do in Darjeeling. Returning to Kolkata, I confessed that the tram ride was much more thrilling than the toy train. My father joyfully took us on another tram ride.And so, when friends visited me in Kolkata, I insisted that they take a tram. Not to reach a destination (a certain detachment from the world is essential if you are taking a tram to get somewhere), but for the experience of it.A very dear friend of mine was, as always, the most expressive about the experience. "It's not possible," she said. "What?" "How can a tram go in one direction and all the traffic in the … [Read more...]