The rickshaw driver
Last Friday we took a rickshaw home since my car battery had died. The car was safe and sound in the Bharath Mall under ground parking. We informed the security guy and went to the rickshaw stand. The first rickshaw guy very predictably said he would not travel towards my destination, and when I growled where else he would, he averted my gaze and said some where in the opposite direction. I demanded to know if it was to his house. And he wisely decided to keep his gaze averted.
So we went to the next guy in line, said the rate was 1½ times [since it was after 10pm] but would take us. I said it was okay since the other guy [I stared at the other guy, who had to hurriedly avert his gaze again] I said would only take us to his house! We all bundled in and the rickshaw started, since I had mentioned my destination, he immediately asked if it was near Syndicate Bank [a popular rickshaw stand] and he had got it spot on.
The ride was great, since some of it was on our great concrete roads, and the rest on the freshly surfaced roads. At Canara Urva we went over the well designed new road humps that the city had just installed [complete with embedded red flasher lights], when the driver remarked "Thanks to these humps, the accidents have now come down!" which is true. Since Indians never stop at junctions or stop signs you have to have these humps. We then had a conversation going until he took a left at Barke Police Station. Where he said "This road is yet to be re-surfaced!" very true, and I said probably it is the last road awaiting repairs.
He then wanted to know if the corporator for the area was BJP or Congress. BJP I said, and then he says "the people of this area should give him [actually a her] a complaint!" The suggestion was loud and clear.
Before long we reached. The fare was just Rs 30/-
So we went to the next guy in line, said the rate was 1½ times [since it was after 10pm] but would take us. I said it was okay since the other guy [I stared at the other guy, who had to hurriedly avert his gaze again] I said would only take us to his house! We all bundled in and the rickshaw started, since I had mentioned my destination, he immediately asked if it was near Syndicate Bank [a popular rickshaw stand] and he had got it spot on.
The ride was great, since some of it was on our great concrete roads, and the rest on the freshly surfaced roads. At Canara Urva we went over the well designed new road humps that the city had just installed [complete with embedded red flasher lights], when the driver remarked "Thanks to these humps, the accidents have now come down!" which is true. Since Indians never stop at junctions or stop signs you have to have these humps. We then had a conversation going until he took a left at Barke Police Station. Where he said "This road is yet to be re-surfaced!" very true, and I said probably it is the last road awaiting repairs.
He then wanted to know if the corporator for the area was BJP or Congress. BJP I said, and then he says "the people of this area should give him [actually a her] a complaint!" The suggestion was loud and clear.
Before long we reached. The fare was just Rs 30/-