Last week while coming back from my native place in a train, I saw a young lady of about 35 years get into the "reserved compartment" with three kids. Even when she was getting into the compartment, it was quite evident that she was confused. By the look on her face, I thought perhaps she was not a regular traveler. Ten minutes later, a ticket checker asked her for the ticket. And as expected, she had the "unreserved" ticket. Her reason was that the unreserved compartment was too crowded and she could not get in there with three kids by her side.
It might be difficult to explain but her reason was genuine. The ticket checker who had fined another man in the same compartment for ticket-less travel, let the lady go. The fellow passengers who overheard the conversation between the woman and the ticket checker also supported him and said that he did the right thing. Thankfully, the ticket checker was a kind-hearted man unlike some of the heartless automatons we encounter sometimes.
So, this incident made me think - perhaps everything that's meant to be rigid comes with its share of exceptions. Rules are important, but it's even more important to stick to the spirit of the rule!
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