You drive me Crraaazzzzyyyyy...

They are aptly named drivers. I don't really know if they are even allowed to drive their "steed" (yes, they think they ride horses) but they sure consider it their birthright to drive me crazy. I somehow have happened to meet all the wrong kind of auto drivers here. I commute to work by auto everyday; and the amount of mental pressure I am subjected to, only a Bangalorean can understand. The six months that I have been living here, I have met the craziest of auto drivers, with crazy demands. If any of you happen to visit Bangalore and choose to use public transport, better be warned and derive lessons from my experiences.

For starters, the auto drivers here have the habit of asking for the complete address of your destination. According to them, since you chose to take an auto, you are rich. I sometimes don't understand why autos fall under the category "public transport". Further, if you chose to go to those business parks, (like I do) they assume you own it. Once they have arrived at these "conclusions", they decide the methodology to charge you -1)A fixed exorbitant fare 2) an "extra" on the meter reading.

There are others who do not ask for extra -but consider the change theirs. For example, if the meter reads Rs27 and you pay Rs30-he ll shoot ugly glares at you if you wait for the change. The more polished ones will say with a sheepish smile "Madam, no change". Once, i met a greedy guy who tried doing both. He wanted Rs10 extra on the meter-which i agreed to, then at my destination declared he had no change!!

Some of these autowallas have also reminded me of the expanding universe theory. There have been times when the distance to my destination is 5 kms and the next day goes to 7 or more, depending upon the morality of the auto driver. One such driver got carried away so badly that his meter reads 60 after 49. :D
So much for how they charge you.

Let us now get to the way you describe your destination. I stay at Koramangala and the nearest landmark to my residence is "Maharaja restaurant". I was outside a mall and was looking for an auto. He said he would charge Rs30 (he chose charge me a fixed fare). I agreed since that's what it generally comes to (have never agreed to a fixed fare since then). Once he reaches the restaurant, he asks me to get off like he was running a bus service. He doesn't even tune down the loud music that was playing all the while, while talking to me. He refused to take me home and asked for extra money if he had to. I paid him half the fare and said he should have gone by the meter reading. He screams at me that I have no right to talk about the meter (ha!), that its his business and that we "outsiders" do things as we please.

People who know Bangalore would know about the crazy road networks and "one-way"s. Also, you can't find a U-turn before driving for kilometers. Since my office is located at least 1.5 kms from the entrance of the business park AND on the other side of the road, I need to take a U-turn and it adds another 3 kms.(The distance from my home to the business park is only 3 kms :D) So this is what happens when I take an auto every morning.

** Conditions apply here. Their answers and their probabilities are :

Initially I used to stop with Q 2. Q3 was added due to this experience which again stresses on the "you bl*$#y outsiders" point. When I was new,I ignored Q3 and the driver stopped outside the gate and asked me to get down. He swore at me for asking why and seeing a cop standing nearby, reluctantly drove inside the business park. He continued swearing. I could only catch a few words like "you outsiders.." " our place" etc., since I ignored him and was listening to music.

These are my own experiences. There have been times when I have stayed at home thinking of the negotiations and arguments I might have to get into.I have met a few good ones too. I wish there were more like them. :D

I have also heard of worse experiences, where its not only a question of money, but a threat to one's safety as well. Common targets are girls who travel alone.

All I can do is pray that one day, we all wake up to a world of honest, pleasant and more humane autowallahs..

"Into that heaven of freedom my father, let my country awake......."