Anecdote #41

Travelling by autos has become a part and parcel of my college life. Both my parents take both the drivers with them to their respective workplaces leaving me on my own to fend for myself. As a school student I was not allowed to take the auto due to my over protective family but they realised that it was practically impossible to arrange the car for me everyday. Thus it began.
Initially I was thrilled because it gave me a sense of freedom but gradually as the seasons changed, going for 8:45 lectures in the morning became harder. The cold breeze and unexpected showers worsened the conditions. 

A plausible solution to this was taking an uber but spending 300 rupees everyday on transport alone was not appeasing to my student budget especially when the quality of the cabs are questionable. Some cabs have their interiors modelling on a temple other times the drivers like playing blaring punjabi music and many refuse to switch on the air conditioner/heaters.

Keeping all this in mind autos seem like the best alternative but here's the catch, the auto as a vehicle is not the problem but the guy whose driving it is.
I have encountered many auto drivers, some are genuinely decent but these rare gems are far and few.
The others, well I have no words for them.
Firstly thanks to Jaitley ji the two thousand rupee has caused a lot of commotion in my life. Each month when I receive my allowance I sincerely pray to God that it doesn't consist of 2000 rupee notes at any cost.
During one auto ride I informed the precariously driver that I had a 500 hundred note beforehand because they tend be very short tempered with respect to this issue. He did not refuse to take me but decided to take a detour and took me to a petrol station to get change . As you may have guessed I was late to class that day. 

Honestly, the worst part is the fear of pick pockets. Every time I spot a man on a motorcycle I clutch my bag close to my heart and experience a mild version of a panic attack. An experience which taught me to be extremely cautious was when I was travelling with my friends and a snatcher came out of nowhere and tried to steal my friend's phone but thankfully the attempt failed. Needless to say he and his friends greeted us with whistles. They were not discrete to say the least.

My coping mechanism is that I am hoping that all these experiences  are a means for my karmic redemption. They sure have taught me to do unto others what you wish others do unto you.

I do realise that  autos can be a pain but cars and drivers are a luxury, despite this you will get sick of the bargaining because let's face it the auto wale bhaiya will never learn. 

At the same time don't worry there will come a time in your life when you will encounter a bhaiya who goes by the meter and you will pay the right price. And I promise you in that moment you will experience sheer, unadulterated joy!