The Big Yellow MIT Monsters

They might as well be named that.

You will see them every day on your way to college and if you have 10^th/14^th/15^th/16^th/17^th as your hostel, you will end up hitching a ride on one of them to college more often than not. And I’m not talking of some MIT monster raging fire from its nostrils out of a Stephen King paperback. I’m referring to the TATA MarcoPolo buses plying our campuses at class timings, which so innocently say “College Bus” on the sides.

Most of these buses are for the guys, though there is one bus that runs from the 12^th block for the girls though I don’t think they need it as it is almost always empty. And to add to that, the bus conductor refuses to take guys on. So, most of the time if you spot an empty bus, don’t bother trying to get on it if you are a guy.

They are of course very useful rides helping you save those crucial minutes just before class. Yes, they are the absolute necessity for the folks in 16^th/17^th block. But the sheer nature of driving is what I’m talking about here.The drivers go almost mental on the steering wheel. It’s almost as if they are out to take revenge on the roads. If you are in one of them and if you do spot one of those “speed limiters” on the dashboard in front, you are bound to wonder whether those shiny steel boxes do in fact work?

And, If you are walking on down to college and are somewhere between KC and the Chemical Block, its best you keep your ears open to the noise of a bus coming up behind you and if you do hear one, run for the footpath! Seriously, RUN! The buses usually clock around 50 kmph on these stretches and not even the brakes of a F1 car is that effective to stop it in time, if you do decide to test their brakes that is.

The buses are usually packed with people with some of them holding onto dear life while hanging outside the doors. So, unless you are lucky or it’s not peak time, you should not even bother to try to catch a bus at KC. It just won’t stop.

In spite of their speed and the way they drive, there have been no accidents reported since the buses have been introduced (3 years ago).** The closest to a mishap it came was in early 2010, when one bus was coming from the 14^th block route and the other was coming from 10^th block. The 14^th block bus ended up hitting the rear wheels of the other bus but very little damage was done. Also, the college had completely investigated the incident which goes to show that college is always in control. Moreover, the drivers hired by the college are in fact very experienced and thorough professionals and so rest assured, you are in good hands.

**Editors Note: In March 2012, in an unfortunate event, an MIT student was taken down by an MIT Monster and died. The MIT Monsters do not ply in the campus since June 2012.