Oh! The Public

"Oh! The Public" by Anton Chekhov is a short story that follows the head ticket collector, Podtyagin, as he performs his duties on a late-night train journey. Despite being sleep-deprived and tempted to drink, he decides to "buck up and work" and begins inspecting the tickets of the passengers. One passenger, an invalid wrapped in a fur coat and rug, moans about being woken and argues with Podtyagin over the requirement for a ticket. The argument escalates and other passengers become indignant at the apparent persecution of the invalid. After the argument, Podtyagin begins to feel uneasy and questions his own actions, despite being in the right according to duty. The story is a commentary on bureaucracy, public service, and the social class structure of the time.