I am a regular traveller and am booking my berth on irctc for a couple of years now. I usually book my ticket well in advance. In the recent times when ever I book a ticket I am always allocated side upper berth that too either berth 8 or berth 72. Any number of tries for the same date will yeild either of the same berths withonly a change in coach number.

This happens even when there are a few hunderds of berths still remaining to be booked.
It is difficult to travel on side berths and that to ones near the door. We are forced to cancel these ticket when such berths are allotted. We loose a need less lot of money to railways and the credit card provider in the process

This can be avoided if the irctc servers can let us choose berth from the existing availability or atleast dispaly the berths to be allotted even before the payment is made.
This can allow the user to decide on the payment only if the allocated berths are satisfying. We have this process followed in all other ways of travel - Airways and also by road.