On reaching the railway station, you find that the train you want to catch is just about to start and there is hardly any time left to buy a ticket from the booking counter. What should you do in this situation?

Introduction / Context:
This situation-reaction test problem examines your practical judgment, respect for rules and concern for personal safety in a real-life railway scenario. You reach the station just as your train is about to start, and there is very little time to purchase a ticket. The question asks what you should do so that your action is both responsible and realistic.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- The desired train is just about to start from the station.- There is hardly any time left to buy a ticket at the counter.- You want to travel on this train but must also follow railway rules.- The travelling ticket inspector can be approached on the train at the next stoppage.

Concept / Approach:
The best response balances three factors: safety, legality and practicality. Jumping on a dangerously moving train just to save time is unsafe. Travelling without any attempt to regularise your journey is against rules and unethical. Waiting at the counter to buy a ticket while the train leaves wastes an opportunity when there is still a legal way to regularise your travel by approaching the ticket inspector. The sensible response is to board safely, then promptly inform the authority in charge and pay the required fare or penalty.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Assess safety. If the train is only just starting and it is safe to board, you can get onto the train without taking undue physical risk.Step 2: Recognise the legal requirement. Railway rules require passengers to have valid tickets, or at least to regularise travel with the travelling ticket inspector as soon as possible.Step 3: Board the train safely so that you do not miss it, since you have reached the station on time and genuinely intend to travel.Step 4: At the earliest opportunity, preferably at the next stoppage, meet the travelling ticket inspector, explain that there was no time to buy a ticket and request that your journey be regularised.Step 5: Pay the necessary fare and any applicable charges, thereby making your travel lawful and transparent.

Verification / Alternative check:
Consider the other options. Quietly travelling without informing anyone directly violates rules and can attract higher penalties if caught. Waiting to buy a ticket and risking the train leaving defeats your goal of travelling on time when a lawful alternative exists. Missing the train to avoid boarding a moving coach might appear safe, but the question suggests there is just enough time to board, not that it is dangerously moving away. The chosen option is the only one that respects both safety and legal obligations in a balanced way.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B encourages deliberate fare evasion. Option C almost guarantees you will miss the train because the ticket purchase takes time the question says you do not have. Option D is overly cautious and ignores the practical solution of boarding safely and then meeting the ticket inspector. Hence these reactions are less reasonable than promptly informing the authorised official after boarding.

Common Pitfalls:
Many candidates either focus only on obeying rules and decide to miss the train, or they focus only on catching the train and ignore the ticket requirement. Good judgment in such tests involves both following the law and using the official channels available to regularise any unavoidable irregularity, such as not having had time to buy a ticket at the counter.

Final Answer:
You should board the train safely and immediately inform the travelling ticket inspector at the next stoppage about your inability to purchase a ticket in time, paying the necessary fare or charges.