Unless all of us get single minded on teaching cab drivers and auto drivers a serious lesson in manners and overcharging... they're going to continue harrassing us and calling stikes. We have to drop the "oh yeah easy for you to say" attitude and come together. yes its difficult... standing for buses by those of us used to stepping on a road and going "auto" or "taxi" ... or walking short distances. ... but the only way is to stand up for each other... whenever any of us sees a person getting into a fight or argument for that matter with an auto driver or taxi driver it has to become our moral responsibility to stand up for that person and rally around! We have to drop this "not my problem" attitude!
Awww c'mon... don't tell me you've never had a problem with a taxi driver or an auto driver??? If you're answer is "no... I've never had a problem" then you've never taken public transport EVER in your life or you are Sharad Rao or AL Quadros or .... just plain lying! Because everyone who travels by public transport suffers ignominy at the mouths and hands or these totally unscrupulous bastards at some time or the other!!!!
Try this next time... when you come across a hapless soul in the middle of an argument or fight or just plain refusal ... stand up alongwith that person and fight. You will witness a miracle... one you will feel empowered because you will empathise with that person as you too would have suffered that fate some time; two you will feel strong and powerful! Don't get scared that other auto drivers and taxi drivers will rally around the aggrieved party... see they are strong because they do that! They rally around... we are the idiots who are worried about "creating a scene"! They don't care!!!! And that is what makes them powerful!
See... we give them power.
I have been teased many times by friends and colleagues and called "ladaku" ... "aggressive" ... "Veena bhai" ... because my fights with auto drivers are legendary. Like for instance the auto guy who I offered the right fare for an overcharged meter and he didn't take the fare and got into raising his voice thinking I was going to cower down and I gave him the last chance of taking the fare I was offering or forego the whole fare... and he got into an ego issue and said I don't want it... I walked off ...! No guilt! Screw you! Take the right fare or lose the money! I would like to believe that either he checked his meter after abusing me ofcourse or didn't try the same stunt again with someone else!
Now can you imagine if there were 10 other passengers doing the same thing to said auto man???? Assuming it was Rs. 25 multiplied by 10 :) he loses Rs 250!!!! That amount should make him think!!!
Brave fellow citizen... stop being a party armchair activist... and adviser to the nation!!!! Get of your bloody butt and open your mouth against injustice!!! Power to all of us!!!!
Awww c'mon... don't tell me you've never had a problem with a taxi driver or an auto driver??? If you're answer is "no... I've never had a problem" then you've never taken public transport EVER in your life or you are Sharad Rao or AL Quadros or .... just plain lying! Because everyone who travels by public transport suffers ignominy at the mouths and hands or these totally unscrupulous bastards at some time or the other!!!!
Try this next time... when you come across a hapless soul in the middle of an argument or fight or just plain refusal ... stand up alongwith that person and fight. You will witness a miracle... one you will feel empowered because you will empathise with that person as you too would have suffered that fate some time; two you will feel strong and powerful! Don't get scared that other auto drivers and taxi drivers will rally around the aggrieved party... see they are strong because they do that! They rally around... we are the idiots who are worried about "creating a scene"! They don't care!!!! And that is what makes them powerful!
See... we give them power.
I have been teased many times by friends and colleagues and called "ladaku" ... "aggressive" ... "Veena bhai" ... because my fights with auto drivers are legendary. Like for instance the auto guy who I offered the right fare for an overcharged meter and he didn't take the fare and got into raising his voice thinking I was going to cower down and I gave him the last chance of taking the fare I was offering or forego the whole fare... and he got into an ego issue and said I don't want it... I walked off ...! No guilt! Screw you! Take the right fare or lose the money! I would like to believe that either he checked his meter after abusing me ofcourse or didn't try the same stunt again with someone else!
Now can you imagine if there were 10 other passengers doing the same thing to said auto man???? Assuming it was Rs. 25 multiplied by 10 :) he loses Rs 250!!!! That amount should make him think!!!
Brave fellow citizen... stop being a party armchair activist... and adviser to the nation!!!! Get of your bloody butt and open your mouth against injustice!!! Power to all of us!!!!
