Early morning bus from Madurai 4:30 to Salem, people take a nap during the 6 hours travel.
Madurai - Salem bus drive cost you 70Rps for 256Km, a very tiring long trip, the bus stops only once in the morning to have a breakfast snack and a sanitary stop halfway after Karur at 7:30, still 3 hours to go ...
This man could sit next to you, apparently he takes often the bus covering himself with a typical plaid blanket. Don't be surprised by wakening up to find a Tamil head resting on your shoulder or in your lab :)).