“Third-class passengers are treated like sheep and their comforts are sheep’s comforts.”
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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: M.K. Gandhi, autobiography / 'Third Class in Indian Railways'; his critique of third-class rail conditions.
About this quote
Systems tend to handle the people with the least power in bulk, giving them the bare minimum and treating their comfort as an afterthought. Naming that plainly is how it starts to change: the ones with the cheapest ticket are owed the same dignity as anyone.
When to use it
- A commuter notices budget-fare riders packed standing while the premium car sits half-empty.
- An advocate documents patients left for hours on benches in an underfunded clinic's waiting room.
- A worker points out that warehouse staff are denied the breaks office employees take for granted.