Cab Rides Re-run

For a trip to Hebbal we ordered Ola thanks to my cataract surgery and Aunty’s stubborn ’No’ to put up any more with my backseat driving while she is behind the wheels. She brands it “more a purgative than a tip.”

The driver confided that his owner’s instructions to him were to take only short trips, complete 18 trips, and  earn bonus daily. Nonetheless, he said, he didn’t decline our long ride. Nice of him. Yes, sometimes you receive such kindly gestures for no apparent reason, while at other times you succumb to bitter ones that make you swear, Never again.

During the trip the driver shared with us, unsolicited, that he lived within a radius of one or two kilometres from SFV, and SFVians could call him at short notice on a private basis also - for airport, railway station, or anywhere.  Also, his wife would be keen to take up a maid’s job in our complex. 

That last sentence woke Aunty up from the nap she was enjoying to catch up with her quota.  “Can she report for duty at 6 am?” “Sure madam,” he reassured. 

“Also, can she cook? she asked - a misplaced one rather. Disregarding the traffic, he slowed down and turned back to us,  “Look at me Madam. I have been eating her food.” he said providing a solid proof.

“No, what I meant was whether she could cook North Indian dishes?” she defended meekly. “Not exactly Madam, but she can learn in a week from the lady of the house,” he reassured us. He gave Aunty his wife’s  contact number. 

Aunty remembered that someone had asked for such a cook but, as usual, was not sure who it was. 

“I say, who was it who wanted a North Indian cuisine cook? she fired a salvo at me. “Sorry dear, I don’t accompany you to your Satsangs, Sahasranamams or Bhajans.” 

That seemed a stronger dose. “But you extract all news from me even before I am fully back into the house, and you couldn’t have missed this one,” she shot back, never failing to be at her wit’s end.

Moral: If anyone is interested, Aunty can share the contact number. 

* * * * * * * * * * 

The return journey with a young cab driver is worth writing home about. It was also an Ola cab and, unasked for again, his first statement was the same as the earlier one - that it was not economical for him to take on long trips. On the contrary, Uber’s incentives were on turnover, he said. But he would never say no to trips.

Then he began unfolding his story. In 2009 he came to Bangalore from Chitrakoot (?) district in Tumkur with one set of clothes. He worked in restaurants that entitled him free food, then as an attendant in a car, took driving lessons simultaneously, and bought his owner’s car paying back in instalments. “Yes, this very vehicle is my first one, sir, although I have two newer vehicles also. But this gave me life, and I will never sell it.”

He now deposits in the bank two lakhs per month - I repeat, two lakhs. He would unfailingly complete 18 trips to claim bonus every day.  He doesn’t owe any EMI payments. He takes a sumptuous lunch every day - even if it costs 100 of 150, he proudly says. He takes no tips.

Earlier his house in the native place was just the inside size of the Indica he was driving, but now he has bought a spacious house, and 18 acres of land for his father to cultivate.  Once in a while he would bring his parents to Bangalore, take them around the city for four or five days and visit the best of restaurants.

Once when his mother was travelling in a car along with his father’s relatives for a marriage. When they saw she did not wear any jewellery, they threw her out of the car. To compensate for that agonising experience, he has now bought her Rs.4.80 lakhs worth of gold. Now all relatives from his father’s side are very keen that he gets married with one of their relatives, but he is going to marry from his mother’s side. She is now studying law, and he has organised her apprenticeship with a law firm which hires his cab regularly. He has already bought all the marriage items, including the jewellery for her. 

We wished him well as we alighted from the car, and paid Rs 240 for his bill of Rs 239/-. He hailed us back and returned one rupee.

I am no Nostradamus, but I would place this on record. Who knows, one day this young man might make it to the top like the home grown Infosys Narayanamurthy, Flipkart Bansals, Paytm Sharma, or the internationals - Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Zukerberg, or Jeff Bezos. I can then pat on my back and say to my grandchildren: “Who…? that Manjunatha? Well, I had enjoyed a ride in his taxi some years ago…”  and get them to flock around me for yet another story. 

Moral: Order Uber for long trips, and Ola for short ones.

V V Sundaram

Maple 3195

05 Sept 2016