My Commute

I live just south of Rashbehari crossing and my office is a straight line 3.25 km from home. On an average evening I jog more than this distance in the Lake. But during the working week I drive to work. My father, incidentally, used to take a second class tram.

Before Covid-19 hit us, the three of us - my daughter, my wife and I would go out every morning in our diesel Renault Duster. My neighbour's daughter, who studies in the same school and class as my daughter would also come with us. After dropping off the two children at their school - Modern High School for Girls - I would drop my wife off at Dalhousie and then come back to my office. In the evenings I would pick my wife and go home together. My daughter and her friend come back home using public transport. Therefore my daily commute on a working day involved driving for about 25 to 30 kms burning around 2 litres of diesel.

This was our arrangement until lock-down struck us and left us all home bound. When it was partially lifted (20th May, 2020 - the day Amphan hit) and going to office was no longer considered a criminal activity, I grabbed the first opportunity to get back to work. Attendance wasn't compulsory but to me getting back to the work place was very important. It has a therapeutic effect on my mind. I realised this during the protracted period of sitting at home. Office is not just a place where you work. In today's world most work can be done from anywhere in the world. But to us old timers the office is like family and I missed being with those old familiar faces. I may not be talking to everyone every day but being in the company of known persons is important. 

From my family I was the only one who went out to work. My wife is happy working from home. All she needs to do her job is her laptop. My daughter's school is closed. So I was the odd one out. I decided not to use the car for the short commute. Instead I started using my cycle for the office commute. Truth be told, on day one I drove to work. But from the next day I started cycling.

There are many reasons for this particular choice. I am a serious hobbyist as far as cycling goes. I have often considered going to work on my cycle on the odd days when only I go out from home (and my wife and daughter stay back due to some holiday that does not apply to me) but for various reasons it did not quite happen so far. This time several things went on inside my mind that helped me take the final plunge. 

First, when I saw the pollution free atmosphere that the lock-down gifted us I felt nostalgic about the old Calcutta of our childhood. And then I felt guilty about driving to work for such a short distance. This guilt feeling further gripped me when I spoke to some of our peons. They were coming cycling from places as far away as the interiors of Garia or Nepalgunge, easily covering a distance of more than 20 km each way. 

As it is, while reading the horror stories of the migrant workers first and then the Amphan victims, for the last more than two months I was feeling very guilty to be as privileged as I am - sitting at home safe and secure and getting all the modern conveniences without a problem. So at some subconscious level I think I felt cycling to work was perhaps the least I could do to identify with the less privileged members of our society. A sort of redemption for the sin of being privileged in a nation of millions of poor people. 

My small contribution to the environment through cycling is also important to me. I think it is ridiculous for a fit person to be driving to work over such a short distance. Another fact perhaps helped me go for the cycle. Just before the lock-down I had sold off my motorcycle meaning to replace it with something new which never happened. When I had the motorbike I often used it while going to work alone.

Now cycling to work for me has a few small problems but plenty of advantages. A. Calcutta is very hot and humid during this time of the year. I sweat a lot and arriving at work looking prim and proper is not possible when you cycle in the hot sun. So I choose to wear darker shades of clothes. After arriving I use a fat pocket towel to wipe myself dry. B. If you are not used to cycling in Calcutta you might find the traffic and even pedestrians on the road quite intimidating. But if you are used to it, it is not such a big issue. Of course one has to be careful, particularly with pedestrians who look through you as if you don't exist. C. If it rains it may take up considerable time on the odd day but luckily I don't have any deadline to reach office. D. There is a chance that there might be a flat tyre. While I carry a spare tube and all the implements needed to replace it, I am not sure I will want to do that on the road side in office wear. It hasn't happened so far, touch wood. If it does happen I shall see what to do. I would either walk back home or towards the office depending on where it happens. Ever since I went for puncture resistant tyres (that cost more than an average small car tyre each), I have never had a flat. But it does not mean it cannot happen. 

In my office I am lucky to be able to park the cycle in our ground floor garage space where there are security staff. If I had to park the cycle out on the road I wouldn't bring it. Even if people don't steal it, too many curious onlookers will finger its parts and ruin the bike.  

Some ask me how friends and colleagues see my new way of commuting. Friends who cycle as a hobby love this and are encouraging. Colleagues find it funny and some pull my leg. Peons, with whom I have always had a cordial relationship, hold me in higher esteem now. My other white-collared colleagues all drive to work, some from a distance that is less than 2 kms. Some come riding motorcycles. Few even bought new motorcycles to come to work. No one among the "management staff" cycles to office.

The problem in our society is that cycling is seen as a poor man's compromise. No one rides a cycle with any pride or love for it. Even the blue-collared worker does not like cycling and they all curse themselves that they have to suffer this hardship. Most of them aspire to own at least a motorcycle. 

I had the good fortune to visit Amsterdam a few years ago. Virtually the entire city cycles there. Outside railway stations or launch ghats you see literally thousands and thousands of cycles parked. I wonder how people find their own cycles back at the end of the day from that confusion. Every one there has a car but no one uses it for average commute. They enjoy cycling even in biting European winter. And none of them rides any fancy bike. They are all ordinary cycles with butterfly handles and brakes on the pedal. The city was not always so cycling friendly. Amsterdam changed the character of its roads sometime in the 60s and 70s and made it more cyclist oriented. And their citizens took to it with a lot of pride. I am told other European cities like Copenhagen or Brussels are also similar. 

Here in Calcutta it is just the reverse. The government, instead of trying to promote cycling as a cost effective and sustainable mode of transport and make it safer for people to cycle, made rules making cycling on city roads a criminal activity. I believe they have relaxed this rule after the lock-down. I didn't care to find out if the road I cycle on is within the allowed list. I dare a policeman to come and stop me one day. I shall see how to deal with that. He will also see how to deal with a particularly stubborn citizen.

Let us hope some day in future our city planners will have the wisdom to realise that cycling to work needs to be promoted and encouraged and not banned. But till such time we have these colleagues who drive to work over 2 kms it will have to wait.