“I can think of only one remedy for this awful state of things—that educated men should make a point of travelling thirdclass and reforming the habits of the people, as also of never letting the railway authorities rest in peace, sending in complaints wherever necessary, never resorting to bribes or any unlawful means for obtaining their own comforts, and never putting up with infringements of rules on the part of anyone concerned.”
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Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: Gandhi, 'An Autobiography / The Story of My Experiments with Truth' (chapter on third-class railway travel, Navajivan/Young India 1925-29).
About this quote
Broken public services rarely improve for the people stuck using them until those with other options refuse to opt out. The remedy is unglamorous: share the ordinary conditions, report every fault through proper channels, and never buy your own comfort with a bribe.
When to use it
- A doctor who sends her own kids to the neighborhood public school and then joins the parents pushing it to improve.
- A commuter who files formal complaints about a filthy station instead of quietly paying extra for a private car.
- A citizen who refuses to slip cash to skip a permit line and instead documents the delay in writing.