I had been to Medhipatnam (Hyderabad) reservation counter to pick up a reservation form so as to not waste time tomorrow morning when I needed to book a tatkal ticket. People in that particular complex told me that the particular complex's watchman has a list wherein you will have to give you name and that people will be let into the complex in the morning according to that list in the morning (which apparently opens at 6:30 a.m.). I was surprised and happy as to not have to spend the whole night there (which I have done on 3 previous occasions and ended up being 20th or 25th in the list no matter how early i reached that complex, although I had wondered about a particular set of share-auto drivers being first on the queue and then receiving some money from people when they hand over the ticket). However, when I asked the watchman he denied having any list (which I had seen on my previous visit) and then after playing dumb for another half hour he slowly asked me where I intended to travel and then wanted to know what my Tatkal charges would be. I told him I was traveling to Tirupur and my charges were somewhere around 300. Then, he asked me to produce my ID proof which I thought was some measure taken to bid adieu to agents who were misusing the system and showed him the same. I was asked to go to an Xerox center in the basement of the same complex and get it xeroxed. On producing the same, he cooly took out a reservation form from his pocket and started filling out my details -- I was so lucky people are so friendly here... Then came the worst part, once the form was in order, he asked me for Rs. 300 extra. When I asked him why, he replied cooly, Bhai, if you go through the counter you will have to pay 450 extra... I am just asking for 300 which is Rs. 300, I am saving you 150 na (in Hindi)?

This is the time my mind told me whatever I have been suspecting all these days is true... Auto driver + watchman + counter clerk nexus....

I walked out of that bloody place... I would rather pay a private carrier whose pricing is transparent.

Best of all, I had actually booked an online ticket 1-1/2 months back, the status of which is currently 90 RAC.