What I really like about the auto drivers of Bangalore is their consistency. Let me give you examples that stand out.
It is sort of a rule in Bangalore that the first auto that a commuter asks should not accept the deal. I have seen it happen so many times that I am considering writing a theorem on this. :)
Next, every auto driver in Bangalore has straight line vision only. You can't stop an auto by waving your hand from the side of the road. You have to get directly into the path of the auto to intercept his straight line vision.
Another cool ability of the auto drivers is their skill to feign deaf when ask them to go to a location they aren't interested in. Infact, there is an ongoing research in the police ranks as to what interests the autodrivers. As the first result of this research, the police have put up boards to report any auto driver that refuses a customer.
Individual attention is another trait. If you ask a driver and he refuses, you must repeat the request to the next guy who was listening to you ask his friend. And invariably, he will also say 'no' !!
Of course, not to be-little them, they are probably the only drivers in the country who come exactly by the meter. That I must really applaud.
8 comments:
umm.. yes, u r right. I am a long time resident of Bangalore so the auto drivers dont have the 'route' advantage over me but like you said new-comers will suffer.
yes.. most of what you say is true.. but personally, my obsservation is that Karnataka drivers (that is the real natives) are courteous and even give back Re.1 change.. while the Tamil drivers are trying the usual tricks.. our skill lies in choosing the correct auto!!
Umm... I am actually from Chennai although every hols right from my birth has been spent in Bangalore. So I know Bangalore and Chennai equally well. I am not sure whether it is about Tamil/Karnataka drivers since never in my life at Chennai has a driver refused to come to the place I asked for except probably at late nights when he is returning home. In Chennai, true they will charge you a lot if you are new but rarely will u have to ask more than an auto to go to a place. It seems a general trend in Bangalore nowadays. Note, this was not the same about 4-5 years ago in Bangalore.
Who can write a tribute to Chennai auto drivers rather than me?
I qualify bcoz
1. First time I have ended up paying Rs. 70 from Central to Pondy Bazaar.
2. Then I have also paid the lowest ever(Rs. 30) from Central to our hostel in Pondy Bazaar area & earned the envy of my hostelmates, when my roommate ended up paying Rs. 100 for the same.
Will continue in my blog. Interesting topic.
Got this as a fwd. Thought this will b a better place to put it.
Please Do Not Catch Autos just from In Front of an ATM.. walk a bit
and Then catch an Auto -A person called Fiaz went to Anand Rao Circle,
Bangalore ICICI bank ATM last Saturday 24.07.04 and drew Rs. 4000/-
cash and took a auto standing In front of the ATM.
After 2 Minutes of drive this auto driver stopped the vehicle and made
a phone call on his cell phone. Our guy didn't other much and thought
the auto driver may have some urgency. The auto was going towards
Majestic and in the next signal 2 hefty guys and 1 beautiful girl
rushed into this auto.
1 guy sat on the iron bar and the girl sat next to him and the other
guy next to her. The guy sat on the iron bar branded a knife, the
other guy caught his throat and the girl put her legs above his lap
and held his hands. The guy with the knife started banging him on his
face and blood started coming in....our guy was speechless and they
didn't stop
beating...he was not able to even shout for help as the other guy
caught on his throat ! The gang threatened him that if he shouts for
help they will say that this guy is kidnapping the girl and the 2 guys
came for rescue and auto driver is approver for that !!
They took his cash of Rs. 4000/-, took his watch and picked up his
mobile.As the mobile was old model they returned to him ! All in the
journey,while they kept beating him. After looting everything they
pushed him from the auto in cubbon
road and flew away. He was full of blood coming from his broken lip
and didn't even note down the auto number becoz of the rude shock. You
know what - all this happened between 1 - 1.30pm of the day in one of
the busiest area of Bangalore !! who told Auto is safe to travel ??!!
Please be careful before getting into an auto especially after you
come out of a ATM !!
If u feel like u can pass this message to ur friends to aware them
about Autos in Bangalore or for that matter anywhere!!!
Just read it and be carefullllllllllllllllllllllllll.....
it's best to be united-all travellers in auto and local buses and start up with mass-beating up such arrogant auto drivers.
Hi!
I am BILIGIRI RANGA, writing an article for PRISM, a Hyderabad based mag . My topic deals with Auto drivers (of which i read your blog write ups)
Please brow www.primetimeprism.com , click FEATURES link to see my articles
I am keen to have your views for my article
Please get in touch with me immediately at
brnugget_6@yahoo.com
Hope u will do the same. Looking forward to your mail sooon
The reason why, many resident auto drivers have stopped using meters or have started to ask for more than meter charges are because of many immigrant auto drivers coming from different parts of the country corrupting them.In Bangalore, I came across many north-Indian especially Bihari auto drivers who have never used a meter in their life.
He asked me to pay a huge sum for my ride to the railway station. I scolded him for coming to Bangalore and corrupting our well behaved auto-drivers. He told me that he never knew that using the meter was the norm.
Anyway, I always get into a fight with all auto-drivers.
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