Saw various views of blogggers on the famed and dreaded autowallahs. Guys i want your help – your views

I am BILIGIRI RANGA, from Hyderabad, India and am writing an article for a Hyderabad based PRISM , a 10 year old mag, on the menace of AUTO drivers on the roads. My article deals with their rudeness, bad driving, and so on.

U can see my http://www.primetimeprism.com – Features link for earlier articles of mine)

I am keen to have your views for the same and hope u would respond with suggestions

If interested, pls e mail me at very soooooooooon now and today

brnugget_6@yahoo.com

Fortunately,I speak tamil, so language is not an issue for me in Chennai. What I like about Chennai is that people will talk to you if you stop them on the road and ask a question or something. Some cities in the world cannot boast that at all! I also think Chennai has the best fruit juices (value for money – wise) I have had, compared to many of the world’s cities I’ve savoured fresh juice in.

However, the issues of living in Chennai ARE very different for a local Indian and someone who is coming from a different country, like me. So my perspective may seem “unusual” to many local readers of this comment. Nonetheless, here is a foreigner’s (mine) perspective:

1) RESIDENCE: When I came to Chennai to study my post grad (alone)I had to find accommodation. It seemed that I had no credibility before I even started, because I was a single female with no family tugging along. I was turned away from nearly 30 potential residences, as a flat lessee. Apparently I posed a threat to the owner/flat/god-knows-what, by being single, female and pledging to pay my rentals on time! The flats that did accept me, posed a huge safety threat, e.g wine shops next door and area having shady characters. I literally had to run out of some of the houses and flats, after viewing them. A couple of housing agents also claimed to be agents but upon some enquiring and questioning, I found out that they were sub-sub-sub-sub-sub agents, who could not even SHOW you the interior of the house cos they obviously have no access to the keys. And all this after waiting two hours outside the flat. Maybe in Chennai this is normal, but to an international visitor, it is the best way, to say “we are inhospitable and undfriendly as a city”.

HOSTELS: Incidentally, I checked out the hostels too… (12 in total) and they looked like refugee camps, with 6-8 persons squeezed into tiny spaces. It was not surprising then, that 3 of the girls I saw in one place were having diarrea together. I’ve heard of communal living, but this is was too much…

2) TRANSPORT and INFRASTRUCTURE: Finally I found a place after 5 months, 30 flats/PG and 12 hostels. But like many of the other homes I saw throughout Chennai, roads outside your place has no pavements. So the main road along which I live, is difficult to walk along without feeling like it may be your last walk. I carry my equipment to class and getting on a running bus with that, was not for me. Also, I had to constantly put up with the “brushers” and “pokers”…surprisingly from BOTH genders, on the bus! I had enough after a month, juggling equipment, “bruhers” and the bus brakes that kill. Therefore, walking to the bus stop (1 km away) was done with. Autos were resorted to. Then there was the daily nightmare of haggling with the auto drivers, who think that if you wear jeans and look like you’ve had a bath, you have to pay 2x as much as some one who sloppily dresses in an unwashed khameez and hair in tangles! (This is the only city I’ve lived in where you get treated better if you look like crap!). Then of course, you have to put up with the auto driving itself. Nothing is wrong with autos if you ask me. The drivers need psychological and behavioural certificates to carry passengers. That is all, if you ask me. Incidentally, in my last year alone, in Chennai, I have had 3 auto-accidents. Compare that with NONE, when I lived in 7 other cities for a cumulative figure of 30 years. One of the accidents has even led me to have a severely debilitated arm. Need I say more?

So, I’m sorry, but water issues, noise, air pollution etc, are things I have long put up with in various cities. Chennai is not to be faulted on those matters.

But it is the people that make a city, and if my first impression of Chennai was so good thanks to the good samaritans who responded to my enquiries on the street, I don’t know why these good vibes don’t translate into other daily practices, whether it is renting out your flat or dealing with your auto customer. What happened to “kalaacharam” and” panpaadu” that Chennai can be so proud of? Or is that something reserved for portrayal in award-winning art films about Chennai?

I m suprised to see that chennai has prepaid auto services. Can you tell me where they are? I am also a victim of fight with auto drivers and i finally got my own vehicle to avoid all this..

I am from chennai. But for the past 4 years i am living outside India. I had many problems with auto drivers in chennai, inspite of being localite. I even spoke about this issue to many auto union people. Recently i have been to chennai four months back, i was surprised that i went home without fighting with auto driver. you know why? There is prepaid auto counters in most of the hotspots. They charge according to the system, u will get the bill for it also. Now i am really enjoying the auto ride in chennai. Hope u guys enjoy too in your next visit. Infact chennai is the only city where u will have many alternatives for auto rickshaw. transport in chennai is far better than any other city in India. Even poors can also enjoy thier travel with minimal cost. All the best for your future journey.

I have both good and sometimes irritating experiences with auto-drivers. As you mentioned good experience, I will add few to it.

One of our TMAD group members was taking a 6 yr old kid Sireesha with her parents to the hospital. It was a very long distance and these people are discussing about the health condition, operation, expenses etc., After getting down at the hospital, when this man was paying the fare, auto-driver took only 50% of it and replied, ‘Sir, I listened your conversation. I am also poor and this is all I could do from my side’. He posted this incident to our group. Whenever I remember, it gives me very much inspiration.

I go by auto to my office. Most of the times I have to end up paying more. But once I do not have the required coins and only 100 rupee note otherwise. He simply denied saying, ‘its ok’.

I am a very moody fellow and one friday I left office early at 5:45 pm. Somewhat in low spirits that day and as I didn’t get a direct auto, I boarded a shared one. As you know, shared autos are always filled — a small model of India:) Auto had to wait at the signal and then policeman came and collected some 40 rs. or so. Later few of them(labourers) in the auto laughed including the driver himself. Really then I understood the contagiousness of the laughing. Everyone in the auto felt sorry for him. (Irony. The rule is only for passengers’ safety. But both passengers and drivers care a damn for it.) Also he earns Rs. 4, Rs. 5 etc., from each passenger and Rs. 40 as a fine is a big amount for him. But still he could laugh it off. He exclaimed while laughing that ‘What could we do now? Bad luck. Even if I brood, do I get my moneyback? Its ok.’ I felt like though he might not be well-educated, he very much imbibes the true essence of life, philosophy in him.