In the month of December, I started using the local EMU services to commute to the office. The experiences have been fairly well chronicled in my blog and this post sums up my position after I switched to the train.
But from the 1st of this month, I have returned to my office bus. The reasons were manifold and primary amongst them were these 2:
1. I was reaching office at least 30-40 minutes later than what I am normally accustomed to. This in effect stretched my day and also, with an increasing frequency of calls starting at around 8 AM, it was getting difficult for me to board the later trains. Catching the earlier train actually meant that I had to leave home at around the same time that I used to leave while using the office bus. And factoring the wait times at the station, the time it takes after alighting and then boarding our company shuttle service and the time it takes for this shuttle to reach the office, I was easily wasting 30 minutes.
All these months, I didn't have much of an issue with that since I didn't have any early morning conference calls to take. But with few of my projects running out of the EST and CST of USA, I no longer have the luxury of escaping early morning calls.
2. Auto: While I did book an auto to take me to the station every morning for a fixed rate of Rs.80 per day, I didn't have any such luxury for the evening. This meant haggling every day with some punk who would first ask Rs.150 and would then settle for Rs.80! And the other aspect was that the morning dude was running up a big tab with me in terms of advance. This advance never depreciated below the 200 rupee mark and even now, the guy actually owes me some 300 bucks or so.
And then there was third factor of where I am going to be working from. I have to spend at least 1-2 days a week in the office closer to my home. And I would also have to spend 2-3 days a month in Hyderabad too.
So taking all things into consideration, I decided to try the bus option once again. So far, I have had no issues in the morning trips. I invariably sit alone and have shared the seat on only 2 days when my good friends came by that bus. But the evenings have been a different story. It is clear that unless I take the bus that leaves office at 5.20, I am going to spend 2 hours on the road minimum. But for the same reason, there are lot of people taking the 5.20 bus and if a bus is crowded then someone is going to be pressing against me. And with my luck, it is the biggest and sweatiest person on that route whose stop is at least 10 stops beyond mine.
Let me see how long this option is gonna continue.
Showing posts with label auto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label auto. Show all posts
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Monday, July 07, 2008
Heights of Irony
In the middle of the artificial fuel availability crisis last week (I am of the very strong opinion that the whole thing was a charade orchestrated by the Oil companies in collusion with the Government), the regular auto guy who takes us to the railway station in the morning, had taken a few days off to set right his auto for an FC.
So, I had hired a different auto from near my house that morning. After the usual haggling of prices, we settled at 90 bucks. After I got down and paid him, he did something which is basically the heights of Irony.
He actually took the money and then placed it in front of the God stickers in his view inside the vehicle. At some level, it was a normal act, considering that it was his first income for the day. But what he did after that only shocked me. He actually placed the note I'd given him, ON THE METER!!!!
Can you think of anything more ironical?
So, I had hired a different auto from near my house that morning. After the usual haggling of prices, we settled at 90 bucks. After I got down and paid him, he did something which is basically the heights of Irony.
He actually took the money and then placed it in front of the God stickers in his view inside the vehicle. At some level, it was a normal act, considering that it was his first income for the day. But what he did after that only shocked me. He actually placed the note I'd given him, ON THE METER!!!!
Can you think of anything more ironical?
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Draining bus travel
My return trip from Guindy station to home would probably rank next to the Tirupati bus travel in terms of sheer mental and physical exhaustion.
While I was waiting at the bus stop, one of the buses I usually take, came by. But it was very crowded and there were many people eagerly waiting to board it. Typically, another bus of the same route comes a minute after this one leaves and needless to say, its quite empty. So I decided to take that option.
But within a matter of few seconds, a different bus came along. This was very very empty and so I headed towards it. Only when I neared the entrance did I realise that many many others had similar intentions and were also headed to that same entrance. So much so, that I had to literally bump people with my backpack (around 5kg heavy) to make way for myself. This was my first bulb.
When I finally set foot into the bus, it came to my notice that all seats were occupied. Its usually only a 10 minute trip, so whenever I am in such a situation, I don't mind.
My next bulb came when I got the ticket for my trip. I gave the conductor a 5 rupee note and told him my destination. He gave me a 4 rupee ticket and then gave me 6 bucks in change! I was looking at it for a second and since my bulb meter had freshly opened its account, I assumed that I'd given a 10 buck note. I started to move away from the conductor when he suddenly tapped my hand. The hand still had the 6 bucks that I was looking at. He said that I had given only 5 bucks and took back the 5 rupee coin in my hand.
I was cringing internally for the mistake I had done. By then the conductor had gone to the front of the bus and we were also near the next stop. I decided to move front and stood some 3 seats from the entrance. The conductor had just issued a ticket to the guy sitting in the aisle and was moving to the next person on the ladies side. Now, this passenger tapped the conductor and told him that he had been given 1 rupee in excess and he returned it to the conductor.
Even as I was blaming myself for not returning the excess change, I saw someone else do that act. Felt really really bad about myself.
But all this self-pity feeling lasted for another 1 minute only. That was because, the bus had reached the next stop and a hoard of passengers boarded the bus. Now the bus was really packed and getting some breathing space was becoming a luxury. Amongst the people who boarded the bus were 4 blind people. One of them stood next to me.
I am willing to bet my left pinky that the guy hadn't bathed after Pongal. His hair was kinda brushing against my arm and it felt like scotch brite was being rubbed on me. The person on the other side, was keeping himself occupied by clicking his tongue every 1.8 seconds.
By then, the driver started going real slow and it was evident that the inevitable stoppage for "stage" was going to happen. And it did. We waited for around 4 minutes and then got the "Reigh reigh" signal from the conductor.
At the next stop, one of the blind women who was standing near the entrance, suddenly started showering the choicest of abuses at someone. Apparently there was an inappropriate contact and she was retorting with all kinds of swear words. Honestly, I dunno if the guy did it intentionally or if a guy even actually touched her inadvertently. Another thing to be noted was the average guy who gets over-zealous in such matters, was practically ignoring her tirade. But the way she was reacting, made me wonder what might have triggered her to launch her verbal volleys. At one point of the sermon, she even spit in the general direction of the entrance and I am sure the innocent folk in the neighborhood would have had a good reason to take a shower. Her cohorts were also lamenting about how people didn't care even for the blind.
Anyways, my bus stop came up and while alighting, I took extra care to remain out of the reach of that blind lady, lest she start accusing me of doing something. The minute I got out of the bus, I simply rushed to the autos parked near the stop, did my negotiations and hired one to go back home.
Today's events have really made me wonder if I should return by auto from Guindy itself!
While I was waiting at the bus stop, one of the buses I usually take, came by. But it was very crowded and there were many people eagerly waiting to board it. Typically, another bus of the same route comes a minute after this one leaves and needless to say, its quite empty. So I decided to take that option.
But within a matter of few seconds, a different bus came along. This was very very empty and so I headed towards it. Only when I neared the entrance did I realise that many many others had similar intentions and were also headed to that same entrance. So much so, that I had to literally bump people with my backpack (around 5kg heavy) to make way for myself. This was my first bulb.
When I finally set foot into the bus, it came to my notice that all seats were occupied. Its usually only a 10 minute trip, so whenever I am in such a situation, I don't mind.
My next bulb came when I got the ticket for my trip. I gave the conductor a 5 rupee note and told him my destination. He gave me a 4 rupee ticket and then gave me 6 bucks in change! I was looking at it for a second and since my bulb meter had freshly opened its account, I assumed that I'd given a 10 buck note. I started to move away from the conductor when he suddenly tapped my hand. The hand still had the 6 bucks that I was looking at. He said that I had given only 5 bucks and took back the 5 rupee coin in my hand.
I was cringing internally for the mistake I had done. By then the conductor had gone to the front of the bus and we were also near the next stop. I decided to move front and stood some 3 seats from the entrance. The conductor had just issued a ticket to the guy sitting in the aisle and was moving to the next person on the ladies side. Now, this passenger tapped the conductor and told him that he had been given 1 rupee in excess and he returned it to the conductor.
Even as I was blaming myself for not returning the excess change, I saw someone else do that act. Felt really really bad about myself.
But all this self-pity feeling lasted for another 1 minute only. That was because, the bus had reached the next stop and a hoard of passengers boarded the bus. Now the bus was really packed and getting some breathing space was becoming a luxury. Amongst the people who boarded the bus were 4 blind people. One of them stood next to me.
I am willing to bet my left pinky that the guy hadn't bathed after Pongal. His hair was kinda brushing against my arm and it felt like scotch brite was being rubbed on me. The person on the other side, was keeping himself occupied by clicking his tongue every 1.8 seconds.
By then, the driver started going real slow and it was evident that the inevitable stoppage for "stage" was going to happen. And it did. We waited for around 4 minutes and then got the "Reigh reigh" signal from the conductor.
At the next stop, one of the blind women who was standing near the entrance, suddenly started showering the choicest of abuses at someone. Apparently there was an inappropriate contact and she was retorting with all kinds of swear words. Honestly, I dunno if the guy did it intentionally or if a guy even actually touched her inadvertently. Another thing to be noted was the average guy who gets over-zealous in such matters, was practically ignoring her tirade. But the way she was reacting, made me wonder what might have triggered her to launch her verbal volleys. At one point of the sermon, she even spit in the general direction of the entrance and I am sure the innocent folk in the neighborhood would have had a good reason to take a shower. Her cohorts were also lamenting about how people didn't care even for the blind.
Anyways, my bus stop came up and while alighting, I took extra care to remain out of the reach of that blind lady, lest she start accusing me of doing something. The minute I got out of the bus, I simply rushed to the autos parked near the stop, did my negotiations and hired one to go back home.
Today's events have really made me wonder if I should return by auto from Guindy itself!
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Value added service - revisited
I remember being so elated with the auto driver's approach.
Unfortunately, I have had to reconsider that opinion. You see, last Friday (Feb 22nd), this guy asked me for an advance of Rs.500. I made the mistake of giving him the amount, simply to avoid the "sillarai" (petty cash) issue in the morning, while settling the Rs.80.
Since I had set a precedent, last Thursday (Feb 28th), the guy coolly asked for an advance of Rs.2000! I gave him Rs.500 and said that I would think about the balance. He has assured me that he would "oattee kazhichiduvaen" the whole amount.
Simple arithmetic will tell you that he has to make 25 trips for me, to finish off the advance. What the heck? That translates to 5 weeks of continuous morning trips. If I take a day off or even take my car, then I am looking at a further extension in the repayment, which in effect means that I would have to retain his account till mid-April or thereabouts.
So, on Friday, when he enquired about why I looked tired (I was really looking a bit tired since I am yet to get over my cold-cough situation, even as I am blogging this now), I saw a window open and told him that it was all due to the pollution and the early morning mist that is still going around in Chennai's outskirts. I told him that I was so affected by it that I was planning to return to my car just to avoid all this.
I thought he got the message, but when I got off at the station, he brought up the money topic in a subtle way, saying that we could settle it on Monday. I was in a hurry to catch the train and simply told him that I would consider it on Monday.
Now, all that is left is for me to finish off the 7-8 more days that he owes me and probably start looking at alternate options of commuting to the station.
Unfortunately, I have had to reconsider that opinion. You see, last Friday (Feb 22nd), this guy asked me for an advance of Rs.500. I made the mistake of giving him the amount, simply to avoid the "sillarai" (petty cash) issue in the morning, while settling the Rs.80.
Since I had set a precedent, last Thursday (Feb 28th), the guy coolly asked for an advance of Rs.2000! I gave him Rs.500 and said that I would think about the balance. He has assured me that he would "oattee kazhichiduvaen" the whole amount.
Simple arithmetic will tell you that he has to make 25 trips for me, to finish off the advance. What the heck? That translates to 5 weeks of continuous morning trips. If I take a day off or even take my car, then I am looking at a further extension in the repayment, which in effect means that I would have to retain his account till mid-April or thereabouts.
So, on Friday, when he enquired about why I looked tired (I was really looking a bit tired since I am yet to get over my cold-cough situation, even as I am blogging this now), I saw a window open and told him that it was all due to the pollution and the early morning mist that is still going around in Chennai's outskirts. I told him that I was so affected by it that I was planning to return to my car just to avoid all this.
I thought he got the message, but when I got off at the station, he brought up the money topic in a subtle way, saying that we could settle it on Monday. I was in a hurry to catch the train and simply told him that I would consider it on Monday.
Now, all that is left is for me to finish off the 7-8 more days that he owes me and probably start looking at alternate options of commuting to the station.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Value added service
As usual, on Wednesday morning, I took an auto. This guy is from the Stand at the end of my street.
A few minutes into the trip, the guy passed me the newspaper he was reading and asked if I would like to read it. While it may be a very trivial little gesture, I still liked that he was trying to do something extra for his customer.
Furthermore, during the trip itself, he voluntarily asked where exactly my house was and if he could come there by 6.45-6.50 AM to pick me up.
My experiences last week - on 2 or 3 days - was that I just couldn’t find any auto in the morning and had to take the bus to reach the railway station. This caused me to miss my usual train and hence reach office later than usual.
Anyways, that kind of played into my mind and I agreed to work out the deal with him. And he was there at my doorstep this morning at the indicated time. He greeted me with a big and traditional Chennai Hello Salute. And handed over the newspaper promptly.
I just hope he doesn’t ask for a hike in the rates due to the hike in fuel prices declared today. In any case, Raghu is going to arrange for my bike to repaired, so the arrangement could be only a short-lived one. But till that time, I am going to let myself be pampered like a King!
A few minutes into the trip, the guy passed me the newspaper he was reading and asked if I would like to read it. While it may be a very trivial little gesture, I still liked that he was trying to do something extra for his customer.
Furthermore, during the trip itself, he voluntarily asked where exactly my house was and if he could come there by 6.45-6.50 AM to pick me up.
My experiences last week - on 2 or 3 days - was that I just couldn’t find any auto in the morning and had to take the bus to reach the railway station. This caused me to miss my usual train and hence reach office later than usual.
Anyways, that kind of played into my mind and I agreed to work out the deal with him. And he was there at my doorstep this morning at the indicated time. He greeted me with a big and traditional Chennai Hello Salute. And handed over the newspaper promptly.
I just hope he doesn’t ask for a hike in the rates due to the hike in fuel prices declared today. In any case, Raghu is going to arrange for my bike to repaired, so the arrangement could be only a short-lived one. But till that time, I am going to let myself be pampered like a King!
Friday, December 28, 2007
Train commute - Days 5 to 7
I used the train only from Wednesday this week, since I took my car out after a long time on Monday.
Looks like I am getting used to the train journey, because I don't have anything interesting of note any longer. Other than the stray drunken auto driver who took me on a tour around Jeevarathnam Nagar-Shanthi Colony-Damodarapuram-Besant Nagar and the 1000s of Mael Maruvathur devotees who boarded-alighted-re-boarded and re-alighted in a span of 20 seconds at one of the railway stations, life is now getting into a routine.
From my 2 week experience I can see a lot of benefits with the train. I am obviously not comparing it with a car ride and am limiting the comparison to a bus. Train is obviously proving to be more expensive, but that's mainly because I have to take an auto in the morning and evening. If I start using my bike, I can reduce that cost by nearly 70%. And in terms of travel time, it is longer in the morning mainly due to the travel involved to and from the station. Same is the case for the return trip. However, the return trip takes 2 hours which is a guaranteed constant.
And if I get a seat in the train, which I do more often than not, I find reading books to be much easier than while reading in a bus. Also, in a bus, the lighting would not be adequate in the evening, whereas in a train, there are lights everywhere in the compartment.
But MOST importantly, while travelling by train, I don't need to endure someone poking my ribs or encroaching upon my shoulder and forearm or rubbing against my waist, as it invariably happens in the bus. Even if the train is crowded, there are always few pockets of free space wherein nobody violates my personal space.
But having said all this, if my company does provide buses with only 4 seas in a row, I think it will be my choice hands down!
Looks like I am getting used to the train journey, because I don't have anything interesting of note any longer. Other than the stray drunken auto driver who took me on a tour around Jeevarathnam Nagar-Shanthi Colony-Damodarapuram-Besant Nagar and the 1000s of Mael Maruvathur devotees who boarded-alighted-re-boarded and re-alighted in a span of 20 seconds at one of the railway stations, life is now getting into a routine.
From my 2 week experience I can see a lot of benefits with the train. I am obviously not comparing it with a car ride and am limiting the comparison to a bus. Train is obviously proving to be more expensive, but that's mainly because I have to take an auto in the morning and evening. If I start using my bike, I can reduce that cost by nearly 70%. And in terms of travel time, it is longer in the morning mainly due to the travel involved to and from the station. Same is the case for the return trip. However, the return trip takes 2 hours which is a guaranteed constant.
And if I get a seat in the train, which I do more often than not, I find reading books to be much easier than while reading in a bus. Also, in a bus, the lighting would not be adequate in the evening, whereas in a train, there are lights everywhere in the compartment.
But MOST importantly, while travelling by train, I don't need to endure someone poking my ribs or encroaching upon my shoulder and forearm or rubbing against my waist, as it invariably happens in the bus. Even if the train is crowded, there are always few pockets of free space wherein nobody violates my personal space.
But having said all this, if my company does provide buses with only 4 seas in a row, I think it will be my choice hands down!
Friday, December 21, 2007
Train commute - Day 4
I didn't go to office yesterday and so the Day 4 got pushed to today.
Technically I was on leave yesterday, but still had so many phone calls to attend and emails to respond, that I knew full well that today was going to be a busy day. So I decided to start earlier than usual and was at the station some 20 minutes before usual.
Just as I was climbing the stairs I saw a train chugging in. It was not an EMU and it was on a different platform than the one where the EMUs usually stop. So, I went to the usual platform and asked the guy at the newspaper stall as to when the next train to my place would arrive.
He said it would be 10 minutes before the next train comes, but in stead of that I could board the train that was there at the platform past this one. And he added that if I run right now, I could catch it.
I seriously don't know if he was making fun of me or if he really thought that a Maurice Green was hidden in the person he was talking to. I mean, the whole running involved going up a flight of stairs (you know how big they are in Railway Stations in India), then sprinting across some 20-30 feet amidst people going everywhere and then running down another flight of stairs. And after I do all this and find the train moving, I would have to run along the train and try to board it, like the heroes do in movies.
Since I am not in a movie (note how I didn't say I am not a hero), I decided not to strain myself. Mercifully, that train anyway started some 20-30 seconds after I had the conversation with that newspaper vendor. Anyways, the EMU came along on time and I got inside a really vacant I Class compartment. Got me a good corner seat (sitting with my back to the engine) and then I started reading some study material for the technical exam I have to take in the office next week.
The return trip was equally peaceful. I boarded the train some 30 minutes later than usual, but since it was late - 7.15 PM - the compartment was empty. I also had a friend from work for company.
After alighting at Guindy, I managed to get hold of an auto driver who agreed to come to Besant Nagar for 75 bucks. The best part was that I didn't have to bargain at all. I asked him the rate and he said 75. Just to put a moral show of dissidence, I wore a reluctant face, gave out a sigh and then boarded the auto. Since he quoted a near normal rate before bargaining itself, I think he was probably drunk and was not aware of what he was saying.
The bad part of today's commute was that the I Class seats were not that good. They were quite dirty actually. The coaches that I boarded both times were definitely ones that were first used some 10 years back. Definitely not worth the money that is being charged.
Costs:
Auto morning : Rs. 90.00 (solo)
Train ticket morning: Rs. 0.00
Train ticket evening: Rs. 0.00
Auto evening : Rs. 75.00 (solo)
Technically I was on leave yesterday, but still had so many phone calls to attend and emails to respond, that I knew full well that today was going to be a busy day. So I decided to start earlier than usual and was at the station some 20 minutes before usual.
Just as I was climbing the stairs I saw a train chugging in. It was not an EMU and it was on a different platform than the one where the EMUs usually stop. So, I went to the usual platform and asked the guy at the newspaper stall as to when the next train to my place would arrive.
He said it would be 10 minutes before the next train comes, but in stead of that I could board the train that was there at the platform past this one. And he added that if I run right now, I could catch it.
I seriously don't know if he was making fun of me or if he really thought that a Maurice Green was hidden in the person he was talking to. I mean, the whole running involved going up a flight of stairs (you know how big they are in Railway Stations in India), then sprinting across some 20-30 feet amidst people going everywhere and then running down another flight of stairs. And after I do all this and find the train moving, I would have to run along the train and try to board it, like the heroes do in movies.
Since I am not in a movie (note how I didn't say I am not a hero), I decided not to strain myself. Mercifully, that train anyway started some 20-30 seconds after I had the conversation with that newspaper vendor. Anyways, the EMU came along on time and I got inside a really vacant I Class compartment. Got me a good corner seat (sitting with my back to the engine) and then I started reading some study material for the technical exam I have to take in the office next week.
The return trip was equally peaceful. I boarded the train some 30 minutes later than usual, but since it was late - 7.15 PM - the compartment was empty. I also had a friend from work for company.
After alighting at Guindy, I managed to get hold of an auto driver who agreed to come to Besant Nagar for 75 bucks. The best part was that I didn't have to bargain at all. I asked him the rate and he said 75. Just to put a moral show of dissidence, I wore a reluctant face, gave out a sigh and then boarded the auto. Since he quoted a near normal rate before bargaining itself, I think he was probably drunk and was not aware of what he was saying.
The bad part of today's commute was that the I Class seats were not that good. They were quite dirty actually. The coaches that I boarded both times were definitely ones that were first used some 10 years back. Definitely not worth the money that is being charged.
Costs:
Auto morning : Rs. 90.00 (solo)
Train ticket morning: Rs. 0.00
Train ticket evening: Rs. 0.00
Auto evening : Rs. 75.00 (solo)
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Train commute - Day 3
I got my month pass for the train this morning. The interesting point to note was the way the id card was issued. The guy at the counter asked me for a passport size photo. I gave him one. He took an empty card and placed - not pasted or affixed, just placed - the photo at the designated area on the card. He then took out a seal and placed a mark spanning the photo and the card. He then issued me the month's ticket and pushed all the 3 (id card, photo and the ticket) to me and asked me to verify them. The onus is now on me to affix the photo on the card such that the seal on the photo is properly aligned with the seal on the card.
I guess I am already used to the train now, coz I don't find anything interesting to note.
The return trip was a whole different story. It was pouring cats and dogs and a whole lot of other domesticated animals. The rain was accompanied by strong winds too. So much so, that the roads within my office campus were inundated and we actually had to cross small stretches with ankle deep water.
Once we reached the station, we were greeted with absolute darkness. There was no electricity whatsoever and the guy at the ticket counter was actually issuing tickets with the background light of his mobile!
Considering that it was raining like crazy, there was a delay in the arrival of the train and finally one came along. I had to catch up with another friend of mine, but unfortunately, he didn't have a I Class pass. So, I went along with him in the general compartment and luckily enough, both of us got seats within 2-3 stops.
After getting down at Guindy, we were lucky enough to get an auto. Actually, while we were flagging down an auto which stopped near us, we saw that a coupe of people got out of it. We were bargaining with this driver who said that he wouldn't mind taking us along, but he already had a "savari". Even as we were backing up, the "savari" told us that she has no objection in sharing the auto, since she has to get down at Kasturiba Nagar. Considering the rain and the bulbs we already got from couple of autos, we took the offer.
I had to travel the leg from Indra Nagar to my place alone. So I chatted up with the auto driver and asked him if he'd seen Oram Po. Apparently, he hadn't. I anyway asked him if the whole auto racing was indeed true. He said that it did take place, albeit on a purely illegal basis. He gave a crisp summary of what it involved and it pretty much looked just like what came up in Oram Po.
Anyways, a thing that I noticed with the steps in the Guindy subway is that, the steps are designed for the Chinese women of yore, who used to have their feet tied up to keep them small. The steps are really narrow and I don't feel too comfortable climbing it.
Costs:
Auto morning : Rs. 60.00 (shared)
Train ticket morning: Rs. 620.00
Train ticket evening: Rs. 0.00
Auto evening : Rs. 50.00 (shared)
I guess I am already used to the train now, coz I don't find anything interesting to note.
The return trip was a whole different story. It was pouring cats and dogs and a whole lot of other domesticated animals. The rain was accompanied by strong winds too. So much so, that the roads within my office campus were inundated and we actually had to cross small stretches with ankle deep water.
Once we reached the station, we were greeted with absolute darkness. There was no electricity whatsoever and the guy at the ticket counter was actually issuing tickets with the background light of his mobile!
Considering that it was raining like crazy, there was a delay in the arrival of the train and finally one came along. I had to catch up with another friend of mine, but unfortunately, he didn't have a I Class pass. So, I went along with him in the general compartment and luckily enough, both of us got seats within 2-3 stops.
After getting down at Guindy, we were lucky enough to get an auto. Actually, while we were flagging down an auto which stopped near us, we saw that a coupe of people got out of it. We were bargaining with this driver who said that he wouldn't mind taking us along, but he already had a "savari". Even as we were backing up, the "savari" told us that she has no objection in sharing the auto, since she has to get down at Kasturiba Nagar. Considering the rain and the bulbs we already got from couple of autos, we took the offer.
I had to travel the leg from Indra Nagar to my place alone. So I chatted up with the auto driver and asked him if he'd seen Oram Po. Apparently, he hadn't. I anyway asked him if the whole auto racing was indeed true. He said that it did take place, albeit on a purely illegal basis. He gave a crisp summary of what it involved and it pretty much looked just like what came up in Oram Po.
Anyways, a thing that I noticed with the steps in the Guindy subway is that, the steps are designed for the Chinese women of yore, who used to have their feet tied up to keep them small. The steps are really narrow and I don't feel too comfortable climbing it.
Costs:
Auto morning : Rs. 60.00 (shared)
Train ticket morning: Rs. 620.00
Train ticket evening: Rs. 0.00
Auto evening : Rs. 50.00 (shared)
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Train commute - Day 2
Today's morning commute was in the I Class compartment. You will not believe how much expensive the ticket is. The II Class for that distance costs me Rs.10 and the same in I Class is Rs.108!!!
The only good thing is that the monthly pass for I Class is Rs.620. So it makes absolute sense to buy the monthly pass and even if you make 6 trips, you have like broken even. :)
Anyways, we got seats after we boarded the train. Also the compartment was relatively free of standing passengers right through the trip. The only problem was that a couple of seats had a leaky roof above them. And the seats near the main entrance were subjected to occasional showers getting blown in.
Otherwise compared to yesterday's ordeal in the morning, this morning's trip was a breeze. After we alighted at our destination, we went to the booking counter and asked the guy there to give us 2 I Class tickets. At that time, we didn't calculate the season pass rates that much and decided to buy the one way ticket itself.
The guy at the counter gave us what looked like a shocked expression coupled with utter disbelief that someone would ask for a I Class ticket for one time use. The look was well rounded off with an expression that also indicated that he considered us slightly low on intellect. Anyways, the guy simply told us that he didn't have one way tickets since not many buy those tickets at that station. He said he could issue us a pass and nothing else. We had no option and so we got the II Class return tickets.
The return trip was more exciting. We boarded the train with barely a few seconds to spare. The evening one was not the normal EMU. It was a regular express train, just that since it runs between Chennai and Pondy (and back), it has more stops. Luckily we all got seats and so the journey was comfortable.
We got down at Guindy. Like last evening, I let the ladies handle the auto position. They in fact went one step ahead of my expectation and booked a share auto with the condition to the driver that he should take only the 3 of us. We agreed to pay him Rs.70 and the drop would cover all our houses - at least street end. It was an awesome move and something that I wouldn't have dared to even broach to an auto driver.
After today's trip it is very clear that I will be able to continue with the train only if I come by I Class. So I am planning to get the season ticket tomorrow.
Costs:
Auto morning : Rs. 45.00 (shared)
Train ticket morning: Rs. 108.00
Train ticket evening: Rs. 7.00
Auto evening : Rs. 20.00 (shared)
Total = Rs. 180.00
The only good thing is that the monthly pass for I Class is Rs.620. So it makes absolute sense to buy the monthly pass and even if you make 6 trips, you have like broken even. :)
Anyways, we got seats after we boarded the train. Also the compartment was relatively free of standing passengers right through the trip. The only problem was that a couple of seats had a leaky roof above them. And the seats near the main entrance were subjected to occasional showers getting blown in.
Otherwise compared to yesterday's ordeal in the morning, this morning's trip was a breeze. After we alighted at our destination, we went to the booking counter and asked the guy there to give us 2 I Class tickets. At that time, we didn't calculate the season pass rates that much and decided to buy the one way ticket itself.
The guy at the counter gave us what looked like a shocked expression coupled with utter disbelief that someone would ask for a I Class ticket for one time use. The look was well rounded off with an expression that also indicated that he considered us slightly low on intellect. Anyways, the guy simply told us that he didn't have one way tickets since not many buy those tickets at that station. He said he could issue us a pass and nothing else. We had no option and so we got the II Class return tickets.
The return trip was more exciting. We boarded the train with barely a few seconds to spare. The evening one was not the normal EMU. It was a regular express train, just that since it runs between Chennai and Pondy (and back), it has more stops. Luckily we all got seats and so the journey was comfortable.
We got down at Guindy. Like last evening, I let the ladies handle the auto position. They in fact went one step ahead of my expectation and booked a share auto with the condition to the driver that he should take only the 3 of us. We agreed to pay him Rs.70 and the drop would cover all our houses - at least street end. It was an awesome move and something that I wouldn't have dared to even broach to an auto driver.
After today's trip it is very clear that I will be able to continue with the train only if I come by I Class. So I am planning to get the season ticket tomorrow.
Costs:
Auto morning : Rs. 45.00 (shared)
Train ticket morning: Rs. 108.00
Train ticket evening: Rs. 7.00
Auto evening : Rs. 20.00 (shared)
Total = Rs. 180.00
Monday, December 17, 2007
Train commute - Day 1
First things first, I must pat myself in the back for actually getting up early and managing to leave the house at a reasonable hour. I am not to be confused at any level with a morning person and so the 15 minutes I sacrificed in the morning is really intangible.
Anywhoo, I started out at around 6.55 and went to the main road to catch an auto. With my expert bargaining skills, a rate of Rs.90 was fixed. When I picked up my friend on the way, she clearly told me that it was like 20-30 bucks more than the current market rate. What really irked me more was the fact that the seats in the auto were quite torn and the apparition called the meter was skinned and the PCB was visible. I should have taken up my friend's offer of having her husband drop us at the station!
After we reached the station, we got the II Class tickets to our destination. We went to the platform and were greeted by the arrival of a train within a couple of minutes. Unfortunately, this one was going to stop at Tambaram, which meant that we would have had to alight and board the correct train from another platform. So we decided to wait for the next one scheduled to arrive in 10 minutes.
Frequent users of the EMU service would be aware of various signs on the platform which indicate where special compartments like I Class and the ones for Ladies would come up. We were actually standing near a sign that said Ladies. So my friend and I moved a bit farther down, hoping we would have a normal compartment stop in front of us.
But the driver who brought along that next train, had different ideas. I think he overshot his position and when the train stopped the ladies compartment was right in front of us. We also realised that the train was generally crowded and we had to board somewhere quickly. I asked my friend to board the Ladies compartment and I would go ahead with the next general one. But she decided to give me company and we headed to the general compartment.
Since we were running short of time, we decided to quickly board the first entrance we saw. As luck would have it, we entered the Vendors section. Even before we saw anything, there was this whiff of fresh air, I am sorry, fish air, that hit us. The bloody rake was filled with the morning's catch of all sorts of fish and the whole place STANK. I was actually afraid that I would lose all sense of smell henceforth and that I would start smelling like one and attract the attention of dogs and cats in my vicinity. So, at the 3rd station, we got out and boarded the next entrance.
This compartment too was quite smelly with BO, but in perspective, I felt like I had entered a lavender garden. While standing, I did experience quite a lot of pushing and shoving for people to move from place to place. Also, there was this constant feeling that someone was staring at me from close quarters and more often than not, my peripheral vision seemed to justify it.
We got seats after a few more stations and after that the travel was quite manageable. After we reached our destination, we got the return tickets as well, so that we wouldn't have to stand at the ticket counter that evening and considering the downpour in the evening, it was a brilliant move.
The evening trip started off quite auspiciously with a cloudy sky becoming a rainy sky during the time it took me to buy a pack of Good Day biscuits and a bar of Coffee Bite. I also got a broken umbrella in the Food Court and it practically ensured that I got wetter than would have been the case if I didn't have an umbrella.
The 10 minute wait at the platform was also a fairly wet one. Luckily a couple of more friends and an indirect boss of mine were all together and so the 10 minutes went by in just 600 seconds.
Once the train approached, all of us took up strategic positions and boarded the compartment nearest to us. Lo behold, this one was crowded already and we could only stand! The regular and frequent users were very perplexed with the situation and attributed it to "visitors" like me.
We were joined in the compartment by a group of migrant workers. One of the guys was in a totally wasted condition and actually smelt of varnish! He started smoking a beedi and when reprimanded, started hollering about the rich and poor and what not. Due to his inebriated state, none of what he said was coherent. Luckily, wiser counsel prevailed from his more sober wife who quietened him down.
But, I didn't get a seat for the whole trip and if it were not for the company I had, it would have been quite a boring trip. After we alighted at Guindy, my friends and I came out and booked an auto. Since they had better bargaining skills than yours truly, they managed to catch hold of an auto for Rs70 and the trip included a drop at Indra Nagar en route to Besant Nagar!
Tomorrow, I am going to travel by First Class at least one way and see how that section is going to impact my travel experience.
Costs:
Auto morning : Rs. 45.00 (shared)
Train ticket morning: Rs. 7.00
Train ticket evening: Rs. 7.00
Auto evening : Rs. 30.00 (shared)
Total = Rs. 89.00
Anywhoo, I started out at around 6.55 and went to the main road to catch an auto. With my expert bargaining skills, a rate of Rs.90 was fixed. When I picked up my friend on the way, she clearly told me that it was like 20-30 bucks more than the current market rate. What really irked me more was the fact that the seats in the auto were quite torn and the apparition called the meter was skinned and the PCB was visible. I should have taken up my friend's offer of having her husband drop us at the station!
After we reached the station, we got the II Class tickets to our destination. We went to the platform and were greeted by the arrival of a train within a couple of minutes. Unfortunately, this one was going to stop at Tambaram, which meant that we would have had to alight and board the correct train from another platform. So we decided to wait for the next one scheduled to arrive in 10 minutes.
Frequent users of the EMU service would be aware of various signs on the platform which indicate where special compartments like I Class and the ones for Ladies would come up. We were actually standing near a sign that said Ladies. So my friend and I moved a bit farther down, hoping we would have a normal compartment stop in front of us.
But the driver who brought along that next train, had different ideas. I think he overshot his position and when the train stopped the ladies compartment was right in front of us. We also realised that the train was generally crowded and we had to board somewhere quickly. I asked my friend to board the Ladies compartment and I would go ahead with the next general one. But she decided to give me company and we headed to the general compartment.
Since we were running short of time, we decided to quickly board the first entrance we saw. As luck would have it, we entered the Vendors section. Even before we saw anything, there was this whiff of fresh air, I am sorry, fish air, that hit us. The bloody rake was filled with the morning's catch of all sorts of fish and the whole place STANK. I was actually afraid that I would lose all sense of smell henceforth and that I would start smelling like one and attract the attention of dogs and cats in my vicinity. So, at the 3rd station, we got out and boarded the next entrance.
This compartment too was quite smelly with BO, but in perspective, I felt like I had entered a lavender garden. While standing, I did experience quite a lot of pushing and shoving for people to move from place to place. Also, there was this constant feeling that someone was staring at me from close quarters and more often than not, my peripheral vision seemed to justify it.
We got seats after a few more stations and after that the travel was quite manageable. After we reached our destination, we got the return tickets as well, so that we wouldn't have to stand at the ticket counter that evening and considering the downpour in the evening, it was a brilliant move.
The evening trip started off quite auspiciously with a cloudy sky becoming a rainy sky during the time it took me to buy a pack of Good Day biscuits and a bar of Coffee Bite. I also got a broken umbrella in the Food Court and it practically ensured that I got wetter than would have been the case if I didn't have an umbrella.
The 10 minute wait at the platform was also a fairly wet one. Luckily a couple of more friends and an indirect boss of mine were all together and so the 10 minutes went by in just 600 seconds.
Once the train approached, all of us took up strategic positions and boarded the compartment nearest to us. Lo behold, this one was crowded already and we could only stand! The regular and frequent users were very perplexed with the situation and attributed it to "visitors" like me.
We were joined in the compartment by a group of migrant workers. One of the guys was in a totally wasted condition and actually smelt of varnish! He started smoking a beedi and when reprimanded, started hollering about the rich and poor and what not. Due to his inebriated state, none of what he said was coherent. Luckily, wiser counsel prevailed from his more sober wife who quietened him down.
But, I didn't get a seat for the whole trip and if it were not for the company I had, it would have been quite a boring trip. After we alighted at Guindy, my friends and I came out and booked an auto. Since they had better bargaining skills than yours truly, they managed to catch hold of an auto for Rs70 and the trip included a drop at Indra Nagar en route to Besant Nagar!
Tomorrow, I am going to travel by First Class at least one way and see how that section is going to impact my travel experience.
Costs:
Auto morning : Rs. 45.00 (shared)
Train ticket morning: Rs. 7.00
Train ticket evening: Rs. 7.00
Auto evening : Rs. 30.00 (shared)
Total = Rs. 89.00
Reaching office - alternate options
Since the only other driver in my car pool has gone to Canada and will not be back for a year or two, we are facing serious challenges in terms of continuing the same. I am finding it quite tiring to drive on all 5 days of the week, especially when I have to spend 3-4 days stuck in continuous traffic jams lasting for 30 odd minutes at multiple places.
AS has been detailed many times before, I am kinda fed up with the bus travel due to the cramped seats and a continuous feeling of violation of private space. So I thought I will try out the option of traveling by the EMU or electric train from Guindy to my office.
From an economic stand point, I actually end up paying more for the train travel. That's because, I have to spend some 150 bucks a day by auto (from and to home) and that alone comes to 3K per month. Whereas, the car pool expense for the whole of November cost me only 2K!
But in spite of these challenges, I still wanted to try out the train option. If I indeed start liking the train travel, I am likely to think seriously about the commute to Guindy. It might probably give me a good reason to get my Splendor back on track, yet again.
I have used the train to reach office once before (I had to attend a wedding en route) and a couple of times on the return leg. Today was going to be my first time travelling both ways by train.
Details about my experiences can be read in my subsequent posts.
AS has been detailed many times before, I am kinda fed up with the bus travel due to the cramped seats and a continuous feeling of violation of private space. So I thought I will try out the option of traveling by the EMU or electric train from Guindy to my office.
From an economic stand point, I actually end up paying more for the train travel. That's because, I have to spend some 150 bucks a day by auto (from and to home) and that alone comes to 3K per month. Whereas, the car pool expense for the whole of November cost me only 2K!
But in spite of these challenges, I still wanted to try out the train option. If I indeed start liking the train travel, I am likely to think seriously about the commute to Guindy. It might probably give me a good reason to get my Splendor back on track, yet again.
I have used the train to reach office once before (I had to attend a wedding en route) and a couple of times on the return leg. Today was going to be my first time travelling both ways by train.
Details about my experiences can be read in my subsequent posts.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Oram Po - Now occupying an oram in my heart
I watched the movie "Oram Po" this afternoon with a few friends (and their families) from work.
This movie is one hell of a fun movie. It is heavily inspired by the Hollywood race movies like Fast and Furious, though purists like Raghu abhor the very fact that I can talk of Indian movies on par with ones from Hollywood. Oram Po doesn't really aspire to be equated with F&F either, because, fundamentally, it is a fun movie whereas F&F is pure adrenalin. And the other obvious difference is the abundance of fancy cars in F&F versus the ubiquitous auto-rickshaw here.
The biggest weakness in the movie is the unnecessary interruptions in the name of songs. This is a common problem that plagues the Indian movie industry and this movie, unfortunately, is no different. There are a few glaring editing errors, continuity issues, a couple of impractical situations etc, but these can easily be ignored.
The strength - Very simple story. No heroes and villains, more of protagonists and antagonists. And my favorite part was that it was in full Chennai Senthamizh. "pakka local pilimu machi". The antagonist named "Son of Gun" simply rocks. The character hails from Thuthukudi and his dialogue delivery is outstanding. Credit must be given to the script writer for the fantastic lines given to this character.
Another thing I liked and most probably something that the women might detest, was the usage of unparliamentary words. While the censors have objected to the obvious ones, they have let go quite a few others which fall under the gray area.
The protagonist played by Arya, is probably the most sophisticated looking auto driver in all of the world. His acting doesn't impress me. But that's not the case with Pooja, who in a daring role (the dare was not using make-up) has come out on top (if you've seen the movie, then you will appreciate the intended pun).
I was literally ROTFL in the first half. The film did sag in the middle, mainly due to the unnecessary songs I mentioned earlier. There was one song just after the intermission which I think was included only to allow those who had gone out to grab snacks, to stand in the long que at the food stall, collect the snacks, return to their seat and then wait for the movie to actually proceed. For those who stayed back in the theatre, it was a very embarrassing song to watch especially when you have the mother-in-law of your colleague sitting two seats from yours.
From a story perspective, its that of an irresponsible auto driver, Arya, trying to make a fast buck by racing fellow auto drivers. Unlike other movies, he is not trying to win the money to save some blood relative suffering from a disease known to the scriptwriter alone. He is trying to get the money to do away with his auto loan. He is helped by an auto mechanic friend, "Bigle", and they basically race the autos of "Son of Gun". Meanwhile, a couple of smuggled black pearls find their way into Arya's auto and the owner of the pearls is trying to locate them. In between, Arya uses Pooja for service (as mentioned in the movie) and this causes a friction between Arya and Bigle.
They ultimately patch up, but by then, they have given their valued possessions - auto and auto shed - to "Son of Gun". Finally, they decide to race SOG for an all or nothing bet. They narrowly fail to win and while clearing out Arya's auto, SOG throws out Arya's shirt to him. This shirt has those two black pearls. They go to pawn these pearls not knowing the worth. But the pawn broker gives them a hell of a lot of cash and they go away happy - in an auto with a retractable sunroof!
Anyways, I loved the movie a lot, though I cant say the same for most of the others who watched it with me. Given an opportunity, I would surely like to see it again.
This movie is one hell of a fun movie. It is heavily inspired by the Hollywood race movies like Fast and Furious, though purists like Raghu abhor the very fact that I can talk of Indian movies on par with ones from Hollywood. Oram Po doesn't really aspire to be equated with F&F either, because, fundamentally, it is a fun movie whereas F&F is pure adrenalin. And the other obvious difference is the abundance of fancy cars in F&F versus the ubiquitous auto-rickshaw here.
The biggest weakness in the movie is the unnecessary interruptions in the name of songs. This is a common problem that plagues the Indian movie industry and this movie, unfortunately, is no different. There are a few glaring editing errors, continuity issues, a couple of impractical situations etc, but these can easily be ignored.
The strength - Very simple story. No heroes and villains, more of protagonists and antagonists. And my favorite part was that it was in full Chennai Senthamizh. "pakka local pilimu machi". The antagonist named "Son of Gun" simply rocks. The character hails from Thuthukudi and his dialogue delivery is outstanding. Credit must be given to the script writer for the fantastic lines given to this character.
Another thing I liked and most probably something that the women might detest, was the usage of unparliamentary words. While the censors have objected to the obvious ones, they have let go quite a few others which fall under the gray area.
The protagonist played by Arya, is probably the most sophisticated looking auto driver in all of the world. His acting doesn't impress me. But that's not the case with Pooja, who in a daring role (the dare was not using make-up) has come out on top (if you've seen the movie, then you will appreciate the intended pun).
I was literally ROTFL in the first half. The film did sag in the middle, mainly due to the unnecessary songs I mentioned earlier. There was one song just after the intermission which I think was included only to allow those who had gone out to grab snacks, to stand in the long que at the food stall, collect the snacks, return to their seat and then wait for the movie to actually proceed. For those who stayed back in the theatre, it was a very embarrassing song to watch especially when you have the mother-in-law of your colleague sitting two seats from yours.
From a story perspective, its that of an irresponsible auto driver, Arya, trying to make a fast buck by racing fellow auto drivers. Unlike other movies, he is not trying to win the money to save some blood relative suffering from a disease known to the scriptwriter alone. He is trying to get the money to do away with his auto loan. He is helped by an auto mechanic friend, "Bigle", and they basically race the autos of "Son of Gun". Meanwhile, a couple of smuggled black pearls find their way into Arya's auto and the owner of the pearls is trying to locate them. In between, Arya uses Pooja for service (as mentioned in the movie) and this causes a friction between Arya and Bigle.
They ultimately patch up, but by then, they have given their valued possessions - auto and auto shed - to "Son of Gun". Finally, they decide to race SOG for an all or nothing bet. They narrowly fail to win and while clearing out Arya's auto, SOG throws out Arya's shirt to him. This shirt has those two black pearls. They go to pawn these pearls not knowing the worth. But the pawn broker gives them a hell of a lot of cash and they go away happy - in an auto with a retractable sunroof!
Anyways, I loved the movie a lot, though I cant say the same for most of the others who watched it with me. Given an opportunity, I would surely like to see it again.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Ever seen this?
Saw this on an auto near the airport nearly 10 days ago. Had seen a similar thing late last year too.
Perhaps he is a drag racer! Nothing else can explain the need for an aerofoil on an auto-rickshaw.
Only an auto driver can do this!!!!
Saw this some 10 days back, near the Adyar depot signal. The time was around 06:50 AM. Please zoom the picture, especially the space between the auto and the two-wheeler.
The auto driver just didn't give a rat's a$$ about hindrance to traffic.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Capital Punishment can be replaced with this option
If you belong to the group of people who want to eliminate Capital Punishment (personally, I am in favour of it), I think you have a very good alternative on hand.
While you oppose CP claiming that by killing someone the system is no different from the offender, the system has no other option of educating the people about the pitfalls of committing heinous crimes.
So, to you, I offer a solution. Perhaps you can advertise this during all your protests and you might actually have some takers.
My solution - The offender must be asked to drive a car in T.Nagar, specifically the area of Usman Road, Dhandapani Street and the connecting streets. Of course, the car given to the offender must be like the ones used in driving schools - with control pedals on the passenger side as well, just so that the offender doesn't indulge in any "Carmageddon" activities.
I had quite a tough time in that area this evening. I am 110% sure that I spent at least 2 litres of petrol this evening, while covering a distance of say 2-3 kms. I had to go around the streets and the main road due to lack of parking space. I had to encounter auto rickshaws coming menacingly towards me in a one-way street - and point to be noted, I was travelling in the correct direction. I withstood verbal attacks like "poyiginaay iru", "po po" and "varalaam vaa", not to mention the assortment of glares, stares and apologetic looks and the quintessential showing of palm while crossing the road.
So, it was quite an excruciating evening for me. And if the hole in the ozone has increased today, I am definitely accountable for a small portion of it!
While you oppose CP claiming that by killing someone the system is no different from the offender, the system has no other option of educating the people about the pitfalls of committing heinous crimes.
So, to you, I offer a solution. Perhaps you can advertise this during all your protests and you might actually have some takers.
My solution - The offender must be asked to drive a car in T.Nagar, specifically the area of Usman Road, Dhandapani Street and the connecting streets. Of course, the car given to the offender must be like the ones used in driving schools - with control pedals on the passenger side as well, just so that the offender doesn't indulge in any "Carmageddon" activities.
I had quite a tough time in that area this evening. I am 110% sure that I spent at least 2 litres of petrol this evening, while covering a distance of say 2-3 kms. I had to go around the streets and the main road due to lack of parking space. I had to encounter auto rickshaws coming menacingly towards me in a one-way street - and point to be noted, I was travelling in the correct direction. I withstood verbal attacks like "poyiginaay iru", "po po" and "varalaam vaa", not to mention the assortment of glares, stares and apologetic looks and the quintessential showing of palm while crossing the road.
So, it was quite an excruciating evening for me. And if the hole in the ozone has increased today, I am definitely accountable for a small portion of it!
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Alpa vasool in auto
After the fantastic treatment at the reception (read previous post), I stepped out of the Hotel to return home and shortly was brought down to Chennai earth at a rapid speed.
Courtesy - auto drivers.
There were 3-4 fellows standing near the gate. The conversation between self and one of them went like:
"enga saar ponum?"
"besant nagar"
"polaam saar", accompanied by a movement that suggests that he is heading towards his vehicle, but in reality he has not budged even an inch in space.
"evlo"
"polaam saar, vaanga"
"evlonga"
"besant nagar-la endha edam saar"
"maharaja store theriyuma?"
"theriyum saar"
"adhukku pakathla"
"maharaja store-na, bus stand thaandi varumay, adhaanay saar?"
"amaam. evlo?"
"kudunga saar. oru 120".
thats when a whole of thud sounds were heard inside me. me falling back to Chennai earth!
think of this. i came to the reception at that same place only 15-20 minutes back. I'd given 80 bucks to that fellow then. And suddenly, its become 120 bucks to go back to the same place?
I presented this case to the coterie and heard a cacophony of "varaadhu saar" "10 mani aavapodhu saar" "angaendhu galliya varanunga" "70-80 rooba petrol-kay povum, idhula naanga approm ennatha pozhappa pannardhu" "idhellam paakadheenga".
I simply started moving out. And the conversation continued with the typical "evlo tharuveengo?" and "100 rubees polaam saar".
I didnt look back and continued walking. In the meantime I touched base with Superthumby and like the true gentleman that he is, he offered to drop me home if I come there.
So I flagged down another auto on the way and asked him the rate to Luz. After another round of bargaining exorbitant prices, we settled at 70 bucks to Luz.
After a couple of minutes, the dude switched on the FM radio in his vehicle. The way he bent down to reach the controls which were below his seat - that's a whole different story in itself. Net-net, I suddenly heard some Ilayaraja melody blast out behind my head. I turned back in disbelief and found two giant speakers in the parcel tray!
The driver continued his driving and also fiddling the audio system to locate his fav radio station. On normal days, I ask these fellows to turn off the radio. But today, the alpam in me surfaced out and told me to make him continue with the radio. At least, for the money I was paying, I get to listen to some music.
Thankfully, the station he finally stopped at, played the Remo song from Anniyan and so in a way, a got some alpa vasool in the auto ride.
Courtesy - auto drivers.
There were 3-4 fellows standing near the gate. The conversation between self and one of them went like:
"enga saar ponum?"
"besant nagar"
"polaam saar", accompanied by a movement that suggests that he is heading towards his vehicle, but in reality he has not budged even an inch in space.
"evlo"
"polaam saar, vaanga"
"evlonga"
"besant nagar-la endha edam saar"
"maharaja store theriyuma?"
"theriyum saar"
"adhukku pakathla"
"maharaja store-na, bus stand thaandi varumay, adhaanay saar?"
"amaam. evlo?"
"kudunga saar. oru 120".
thats when a whole of thud sounds were heard inside me. me falling back to Chennai earth!
think of this. i came to the reception at that same place only 15-20 minutes back. I'd given 80 bucks to that fellow then. And suddenly, its become 120 bucks to go back to the same place?
I presented this case to the coterie and heard a cacophony of "varaadhu saar" "10 mani aavapodhu saar" "angaendhu galliya varanunga" "70-80 rooba petrol-kay povum, idhula naanga approm ennatha pozhappa pannardhu" "idhellam paakadheenga".
I simply started moving out. And the conversation continued with the typical "evlo tharuveengo?" and "100 rubees polaam saar".
I didnt look back and continued walking. In the meantime I touched base with Superthumby and like the true gentleman that he is, he offered to drop me home if I come there.
So I flagged down another auto on the way and asked him the rate to Luz. After another round of bargaining exorbitant prices, we settled at 70 bucks to Luz.
After a couple of minutes, the dude switched on the FM radio in his vehicle. The way he bent down to reach the controls which were below his seat - that's a whole different story in itself. Net-net, I suddenly heard some Ilayaraja melody blast out behind my head. I turned back in disbelief and found two giant speakers in the parcel tray!
The driver continued his driving and also fiddling the audio system to locate his fav radio station. On normal days, I ask these fellows to turn off the radio. But today, the alpam in me surfaced out and told me to make him continue with the radio. At least, for the money I was paying, I get to listen to some music.
Thankfully, the station he finally stopped at, played the Remo song from Anniyan and so in a way, a got some alpa vasool in the auto ride.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Autorickshaw strategy
This post is likely to be beneficial to those of you planning to take a "rick" in Chennai.
All of us know how bad this mode of transport is, w.r.t the cost involved. Nobody uses the meter (nothing wrong if u really analyse deeply). So its basically down to haggling the rates.
When auto drivers see milk oozing faces like mine, they generally tend to jack up the rates a bit more. And since I don't bargain that well, I usually end up paying a lot more than others.
Usually, whenever I take the 7.30 bus from work, I get dropped at Adyar. I used to catch an auto back home and it was always a flat 30 bucks. All drivers have uniformly asked only that rate and so I assumed that's regular.
So, I even stopped taking the rick and started using the MTC regularly. But last week or so, I had a bad bus trip (since I boarded the bus late, I had to sit in the last row between two heavy-weights) and so when I got down, I walked up to an auto standing near the stop. Asked the guy his rate and he said 25. I was happy and took the auto.
Something that I'd noticed was this guy had a TN-07 registration. Last evening also, I wanted to take an auto and this time too saw a parked auto with a 07 registration. Asked the guy the rate and he too said 25.
So net-net, whenever you want to take an auto to some place - especially at night - try to catch hold of a guy whose auto is registered in the RTO closer to your destination!!!
All of us know how bad this mode of transport is, w.r.t the cost involved. Nobody uses the meter (nothing wrong if u really analyse deeply). So its basically down to haggling the rates.
When auto drivers see milk oozing faces like mine, they generally tend to jack up the rates a bit more. And since I don't bargain that well, I usually end up paying a lot more than others.
Usually, whenever I take the 7.30 bus from work, I get dropped at Adyar. I used to catch an auto back home and it was always a flat 30 bucks. All drivers have uniformly asked only that rate and so I assumed that's regular.
So, I even stopped taking the rick and started using the MTC regularly. But last week or so, I had a bad bus trip (since I boarded the bus late, I had to sit in the last row between two heavy-weights) and so when I got down, I walked up to an auto standing near the stop. Asked the guy his rate and he said 25. I was happy and took the auto.
Something that I'd noticed was this guy had a TN-07 registration. Last evening also, I wanted to take an auto and this time too saw a parked auto with a 07 registration. Asked the guy the rate and he too said 25.
So net-net, whenever you want to take an auto to some place - especially at night - try to catch hold of a guy whose auto is registered in the RTO closer to your destination!!!
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Project type – Time & Material or Fixed Price
I don’t think I have to explain about what a Time & Material project is and what a Fixed Price project is. Those of us in IT companies have surely come across this. But for the benefit of the netizen who is unaware of what this is here is a quick one-line definition:
T&M project is one where the client and the vendor agree to execute a project and the financials are based purely on hours of work completed. E.g.: If you have 2 people working 8 hours a day for 5 days, then the vendor bills the client for 80 person hours of work.
In an FP project, the client tells the vendor that he needs some work done by a specific date and would pay him x dollars. The client doesn’t bother about the number of people deployed by the vendor.
If you still can’t comprehend this, here is an example that could enlighten you.
Many many years ago, in Chennai, auto-rickshaws used to have meters. Meters that worked and was not ‘soodu vechu’-fied. So whenever we Chennaites used this three-wheeled contraption to move us around, the meter used to display what we had to pay. The meter also used to include time when the auto-rickshaw was not mobile – like in signals, or when you stop to buy flowers from your ‘vaadikkai pookaaramma’ etc.
This is a Time & Material project.
Over the years, however, the price of petrol kept rising with a consistency that even Don Bradman could not have matched. While the Government was over-zealous in hiking the prices, they never bothered to rectify the rates for these meters. So, the poor auto-rickshaw driver had to ‘soodu vechu’-fy the meter to make ends meet. So much so, that at one point in time, we ended up paying way too much money than necessary. And those of us not aware of shortcuts were always fleeced by the ‘autokaaran’, who made it a point to include a drive along Marina Beach even if you had to go to Tambaram from Adyar!
When people started questioning this, the ‘autokaaran’ came up with an alternative. “Just pay me some x rupees for the travel from Besant Nagar to Spencers”. This was always slightly more expensive than what you would have to pay if the meter was correct. But, if at all the guy did have a meter, you would have ended up paying much more than the offer of ‘x’ that was just given to you. And you would have had to see the Marina Beach as well.
So, we simply haggled with the ‘autokaaran’ and settled a deal for y rupees. It was then the ‘autokaaran’s decision to use the shortes route, keep the engine running at signals etc.
This in short is a Fixed Price Project.
T&M project is one where the client and the vendor agree to execute a project and the financials are based purely on hours of work completed. E.g.: If you have 2 people working 8 hours a day for 5 days, then the vendor bills the client for 80 person hours of work.
In an FP project, the client tells the vendor that he needs some work done by a specific date and would pay him x dollars. The client doesn’t bother about the number of people deployed by the vendor.
If you still can’t comprehend this, here is an example that could enlighten you.
Many many years ago, in Chennai, auto-rickshaws used to have meters. Meters that worked and was not ‘soodu vechu’-fied. So whenever we Chennaites used this three-wheeled contraption to move us around, the meter used to display what we had to pay. The meter also used to include time when the auto-rickshaw was not mobile – like in signals, or when you stop to buy flowers from your ‘vaadikkai pookaaramma’ etc.
This is a Time & Material project.
Over the years, however, the price of petrol kept rising with a consistency that even Don Bradman could not have matched. While the Government was over-zealous in hiking the prices, they never bothered to rectify the rates for these meters. So, the poor auto-rickshaw driver had to ‘soodu vechu’-fy the meter to make ends meet. So much so, that at one point in time, we ended up paying way too much money than necessary. And those of us not aware of shortcuts were always fleeced by the ‘autokaaran’, who made it a point to include a drive along Marina Beach even if you had to go to Tambaram from Adyar!
When people started questioning this, the ‘autokaaran’ came up with an alternative. “Just pay me some x rupees for the travel from Besant Nagar to Spencers”. This was always slightly more expensive than what you would have to pay if the meter was correct. But, if at all the guy did have a meter, you would have ended up paying much more than the offer of ‘x’ that was just given to you. And you would have had to see the Marina Beach as well.
So, we simply haggled with the ‘autokaaran’ and settled a deal for y rupees. It was then the ‘autokaaran’s decision to use the shortes route, keep the engine running at signals etc.
This in short is a Fixed Price Project.
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