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Death on the lifeline: The perceptions of Mumbai’s commuters to high-density-related risk

Security Journal volume 29, pages 72–86 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

Mumbai’s (India) suburban rail system has the world’s most densely crowded trains (Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Ltd, 2013) and risks to passengers’ safety and security are high. While a number of papers and reports analyse threats to passenger security from a government or policy perspective, there is a dearth of literature about the impact of hostile intent on the individuals who form the crowd. Using data from a larger project on passenger perceptions of crowdedness in high-density rail situations, this article examines passenger perceptions of risk and security in Mumbai. These include the socio-criminal risks of pickpocketing and molestation, the design-associated risk of falling from the moving train, and the wider politically motivated risk of terrorism. In particular, we consider the physical and psychological methods that passengers employ to mitigate these risks. This provides an unprecedented understanding of how risk is incorporated in everyday behaviour on trains.

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Notes

  1. SEC is determined by the education level of the household’s primary income earner and the number of durables owned (for example; colour television, LPG stove, air conditioner). These data are inserted into a socio-economic classification (SEC) grid to determine a person’s socio-economic level. For more information, see The Market Research Society of India & Media Research Users Council (2011) The New SEC System: Slideshare.net [www.slideshare.net/reachformore/new-socio-economic-classification-2011-mrsi#btnNext].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Appleton Institute, Central Queensland University, 44 Greenhill Rd, Wayville, SA 5034, Australia

    Lily Hirsch, Kirrilly Thompson, Verna Blewett & Danielle Every

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  1. Lily Hirsch
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  2. Kirrilly Thompson
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  3. Verna Blewett
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  4. Danielle Every
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Correspondence to Lily Hirsch.

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Hirsch, L., Thompson, K., Blewett, V. et al. Death on the lifeline: The perceptions of Mumbai’s commuters to high-density-related risk. Secur J 29, 72–86 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1057/sj.2015.45

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/sj.2015.45

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