CHENNAI Autowalah!!!!

Hi Guysss!!!!

Dessy is back...

Guess what..today I took a taxi to my home, and the taxi driver was lost..he just took a wrong turn, and had to go more than a mile, to turn back and get me back home. ..Ok you guys beginning to wonder what the hell is he talkin about...Well..its not over yet...he dropped me and the taxi-meter read 20.89 dollars. And now came one of the most shocking incidents of my life..He said.."Sir...I made a mistake, and had to go a mile extra etc..you dont have to pay me 20.89, your fare would be 18 dollars sir..."

I was shocked.... flabbergasted..As i paid him, memories of my chennai life (Ok...i left chennai only one month back..but they ARE memories after all..) came flooding back to my mind.

There were these wondeful series of encounters that i had with the infamous Chennai autodrivers..that i would like to share...Seriously i never thought there could be these many ways of cheating...and the list is not exhaustive..

March 25th, 2006
I remember the date because it was my first day in chennai..I was to report at 10:30 am.., and i was looking for an auto..I was dressed like a clown..a new white shirt, a Red necktie, and my best trouser with a huge file in my hand..and an ID card around my neck...I asked an autowalah for a ride..and he asked 200/-. I thought, he cant fool me...and said, i will give only 150/-.He obiliged. And i was proud of this..only to know that, it should cost me only 50/- max...:-(..Well...this is quite normal in any city...isnt it??

June 6, 2006
It was my birthday, and i was in a very good mood...with a spring in my stride. i decided to take an auto to my office..The autodriver asked me 120/- bucks to my office, while it normally was 80/-..I said "PO" in telugu which meant go but in tamil it was synonymous to get lost..I did not know the meaning then...then the autodriver got down ,and seriously said something to me..I memorised it, and asked my tamil collegues..He actually said.."I am telling YOU..you get lost..". thanks for the respect sir....

I dont remember the dates from now..
But the encounters keep getting serious and bitter..

I had to take an auto the railway station...I got in..there was huuuge traffic....and the driver said...waste sir..too much traffic..and suddenly stopped the vehicle..and asked me to get down asking me to pay half the price...and when i asked why, he said...the engine is giving some trouble and the silencer is making too much sound..i paid him and he went away...only then i realised what an @#$@#% I was...

Few days from then..i had to come home from a bus terminal station out of the city at 10pm..again i took an auto(i never learn from my mistakes)..The price was fixed at 150/-...I reached half the distance...and that guy stopped and said.."Sir, i have to go home..give me 100, take another auto from here...." ..choo chweet...I said..no I am not goin to do that..you have to drop me at my place..Then he quietly went to petrol bunk and very politely said.."sir Give me 100/- for petrol"...i gave him...and thats it..he went 50 meters from there..and stoped the vehicle and said...you have to go..im not taking you from here...I guess this happens no where apart from CHENNAI.

And then...learning from all these mistakes...i decided firmly not to take an auto..only to find myself in an auto to office the next dAY.....the auto driver asked me for 80/- and i got into the auto immediatley without even bargaining..I was so happy to hear a two digit number for an auto fare..And now..the auto driver started talking abt petrol prices etc..etc..and suddently said..sir give me 120/-. He said..i forgot the route...blah..blah..and guess wat I ended up paying 100/-...LESSON LEARNT...the price you bargain in chennai is not the final price..you can have a continuous negotiation till u reach ur destination...Now thats a wonderful provision only in CHENNAI...

Then..at the chennai central station...you take an auto..and if you are alone..they say..let us get one more person sir...why to go alone..and guess what..the fare is not shared..i pay 140 to my place..and the other person also pays the full fare..A perfect example two idiots sharing a ride...with autodriver the sole benefactor.And here comes another twist..u bargain the rate..and after all this...they say..parking price 50/- extra..now where the hell that came from...

Another case...i was sitting beside the auto driver..and was sending to message on my NOKIA 6600...he saw my phone, and he saw my id card..and said..no sir..nokia 6600 is outdated..i have nokia N70..and he showed me his phone..and he asked me what were my specificatins..I said...1.3 VGA cam...60MB memory...he replied.."mine is 2 MP camera,..with 1GB memory extendible upto 2GB and i have a preloaded music player..do you want any songs..i can transfer thru bluetooth" ..i thanked himm..and thought..obviously if you do all the above things..not only will you buy N70..but you would also show attitude..

well, the bottom line is..

By reading all the above scenarios..you would have learnt two things..

1) How to deal with chennai auto drivers..
2) How to become an asshole again and again and again and again...

Choice is yours :-)

Cheers
DessY