Pearls of Wisdom

I have a strong feeling that toughest and versatile persons are the auto-rickshaw drivers…
Particularly after having so many discussion with them during the travel…

They are irritating:

There is no ‘meter’ concept in Chennai auto-rickshaws.
One has to finalize the fare before starting.
Every time one has to argue with them, finally they’ll agree for a fare.
Once your destination is nearing, they’ll start murmuring.” Had I known if this is beyond this point I wouldn’t have accepted…blah blah blah…”
Again there will be a session of argument finally we end up giving them extra 10 rupees.
I hate this community of auto drivers.

They do not help in case of urgency:

Even government buses will change its route in case of necessity, but autoricshaws don’t.
You can hear them say, we are going straight, if that is not your way see some other auto.
This is totally annoying in case of emergency, when you are not well or if you need to take your fellow companion to hospital and waiting for another auto at that moment is dangerous.
Even if they agree to come, the amount they demand is exorbitant.

They are Funny bunch:

I have had an interesting conversation with one auto-wala.
It was a cloudy evening we were traveling in the ESI road.
The already poor and congested road was blocked for some ‘Baghavan oorvalam’
It was a pathetic evening for the commuters that day.
Most of us were irritated.
My auto-driver, who was some 20-21 years old, a standard 7 drop out, started spilling his wisdom.

Pearl 1:
He wanted heavy down pour at that instance itself. This will test the sincerity of the devotees. He bet that every one will surely place the palanquin and run helter shelter, which I agree 100%. He said show your bhakthi in the way that will not disturb or annoy others. Why the so-called educated, elegant class of people doesn’t think about such public annoyance, which they cause in the name of almighty?

Pearl 2:
He said happiness is short lived in our shortest life span, and then why cry unnecessarily?
We buy a motorcycle; we are happy and drive it everyday.
But suddenly we meet an accident, so all the happiness that we had will wither, we start cursing the motorcycle.
We burn crackers during Deepavali and enjoy it.
But if suddenly we meet with an accident, we start cursing the crackers.
So happiness is relative and short lived.
Why do you need to cry?
Quite Valid!

Pearl 3:
I asked him why didn’t you study further and why can’t you continue now?
His reply: What’s the big point in studying; even the guy who is a graduate is selling books on the T-Nagar pavement. Even without graduation I am doing a good business starting in the morning and reaching home evening, enjoy family and TV and sleep well. Do you Software guys can follow this pattern? (Valid again!)

Pearl 4:
He doesn’t like casting vote because whoever comes is not going to give him his per-diem. (Valid?)

Eventually, when I got down from the rick, I gave him the agreed fare.
He asked me “Evalavu nalla pesinene. Koncham 10 rooba extra thagalen?”(Cant you gimme extra 10 rupees for my brilliant conversation?)
Birds of the same feather flock together, how true!

They are intelligent:

Once when I happened to ask a driver about the distance meter usage in Chennai.
He said that the government hasn’t fixed the proper rate for per kilometer usage hence they can’t bite the dust.
It seems the auto wala s have raised this issue to the government many times and haven’t got any solution. So they demand and make use of the government’s red-tapeism.
As commuters isn’t our responsibility to raise a voice as well?

Whatever I scratch (scrap), here again I am waiting for one Indigenous Auto-wala