Shared misery

I am a not-so-infrequent patron of share autos plying from Tirumangalam to Shanti and Pondy Bazaar. Tirumangalam is the starting point for many share autos bound for T.Nagar, DMS and LIC. The so-called five-seater (3 in the back seat and 2 in the front seat, excluding the driver) invariably accommodates some 13-14 passengers in peak hours - mind you, that is excluding the couple of passengers who sit on the vehicle's floor or stand with bowed heads (the contraption has a low roof). That is, 4 squeezed in the back seat, 3 on the front seat (the one near the dismantled or non-existent door perched a bit precariously) and 2 each on the dummy speaker boxes (you are treated to some free FM music and chitchat whether you like it or not), and 2 on the toolbox beside the driver.
I have so far not had the gumption or desperation to sit on the floor, but I cant blame the ones who are in a hurry to get home. The backseat is usually occupied by women, and the driver generally ensures that women dont have to sit next to men - and male passengers in conservative Chennai would rather stand and travel than invite the wrath of a woman by sitting beside her (That reminds me about a friend's experience in a Chennai bus in the early 90s. She had got bold enough to sit next to an elderdly man; he immediately fished out a tiffin box and kept it in between to pervent any bodily contact.)
As against a 3-seater auto that charges me at least Rs.70 to my destination, a share auto charges only Rs.10 (the maximum fare is Rs.15, I think). The State transport charges a measly Rs.3.50, but then getting into them is generally a feat best avoided at peak hours.
The MTC is getting wiser too. It has recently introduced deluxe buses in many routes with flat rates of Rs. 5,7,9 and 13. And they too come jam-packed. I wish the government takes more such intelligent actions and give the autos a run for their money.