Meter pe bees rupaya extra! I looked at him in plain wonder thinking hard to figure out the logic behind this demand.
Few minutes back, I called it a day when LAN had stopped working temporarily at my work place. I locked the screen, picked up my bag and was set to get home by auto. Today was my second day and I had already spent a terrible night in menstrual pain. So instead of cycling to work in the morning, I hired an auto, which, to my surprise, was decently metered and it costed me Rs. 63 only, from my home to work place. The way back to home from work would be no different I thought. So after work, I withdrew cash from ATM and started walking to find an auto to take me home.
First one: 150 Rs.
I didn't even care to react and turned around and started walking.
He asked kitna denge? to which I replied 80 in a hesitant tone. I surely had forgotten how much I paid in the morning. Then he delivered the popular dialogue, Meter pe bees rupaya extra dedo. I looked at him and gave aapka kuch nahi kiya jaa sakta expressions and without uttering a word started walking again.
At a distance of few steps another auto-wala was observing me. I asked 27th main?, to which he thought for few seconds like a first grader and answered, 180 hoga! I burst into laughter, lifted my left hand to point to my destination direction and said Bhaiya, 60 Rs. hota hai! There was another auto-wala there to whom this first grader asked something in some unintelligible language. Then I asked again Chaloge kya? only to receive a confused refusal. I started walking again.
The next one was observing me from the diagonally opposite direction. I went to him, mentioned my destination and waited for his reply. I don't remember how much he said. I only remember my assertive reply, which was 60 hota hai! Subah hi ayi thi mai 63 Rs. me.
Him: Aap to meter se bhi kam bol rahe ho
Me: Round figure hai 60!
Him: Meter pe bees rupaya extra dedo!
At this point, I entered into a mood of argument. So I started speaking out.
Me: Ye bees rupaye wala kya logic hai aapka mujhe toh samajh me nahi ata.
Him: Khali ana padta hai. 80 Rs. dedo fir.
Me: Ye bargain kya kar rahe ho aap! Aur aap ko koi na koi passenger mil hi jayega wahan. Khali nahi ana padega. Meri journey to udhar hi khatam hoti hai na! Mai kyu extra pay karu!
Without waiting for his reaction I turned around and started walking.
I crossed the badly designed road and couldn't find any auto around on the busy street. So with a little hope of finding an auto who will demand honest fare, I continued walking. With every step I took, I became firmly assertive that I am not going to get an auto anywhere nearby. I saw a few buses but they failed to allure me. I thought I would rather walk briskly for 1 hour than stand uncomfortably for few minutes in a crowded bus trying to make it's way in the heavy Bangalore traffic. So I started walking.
On my way I was wondering about this popular dialogue which these auto-walas deliver every now and then as the last resort hoping to infect us with pity. They have no logical reason behind this bees rupaya wali demand.
Bhai kyu doon mai aapko bees rupaya? Kya aapne first aid kit lagwaya hai apne auto me? Ki safety belts hai? Ki topple-proof auto hai aapka? Extra paise mai kis liye doon? Chota AC fit kiya hai kya? Ki mujhe aap bees minute jaldi pohonchaoge? Kya wajah hai aapke bees rupaye ke demand ki?! Sawaari acchi nahi lagi to paise wapas karoge kya? Auto ke andar kuch refreshments milenge? Nautanki Lays aur fancy mini coke? Ki garam adrak wali chai milegi? Chota LCD TV fit kiya hai kya aapke auto me? Short film dikhaoge kya?
WHY?!
To give more than what one deserves is charity. I do not believe in it. To give less is injustice which I cannot tolerate. One should always get what one deserves. Nothing more and nothing less. Nobody has right on my earnings. I do not mind spending more if I'm convinced with a valid reason. There has to be a logical reason. I feel strange when people indulge in baseless conversations and assertively declare their feelings. There is dearth of logic and honesty. For them, every ride, chance and opportunity must be profitable. So they indulge in the filth of brainless arguments. In this case, the entire structure and meaning of convenient public transport is lost. They openly rape honesty and dignity. They shamelessly declare their deception and ask us to cooperate with them in their game.
Anyway, I came home walking, despite the risk of ending up with bad menstrual cramps. But fortunately nothing happened. It took me one hour. I'm used to walking for longer duration. So I did not mind investing my time in it. Besides that, I dearly enjoy my unplanned walking and cycling expeditions. ;)
Few minutes back, I called it a day when LAN had stopped working temporarily at my work place. I locked the screen, picked up my bag and was set to get home by auto. Today was my second day and I had already spent a terrible night in menstrual pain. So instead of cycling to work in the morning, I hired an auto, which, to my surprise, was decently metered and it costed me Rs. 63 only, from my home to work place. The way back to home from work would be no different I thought. So after work, I withdrew cash from ATM and started walking to find an auto to take me home.
First one: 150 Rs.
I didn't even care to react and turned around and started walking.
He asked kitna denge? to which I replied 80 in a hesitant tone. I surely had forgotten how much I paid in the morning. Then he delivered the popular dialogue, Meter pe bees rupaya extra dedo. I looked at him and gave aapka kuch nahi kiya jaa sakta expressions and without uttering a word started walking again.
At a distance of few steps another auto-wala was observing me. I asked 27th main?, to which he thought for few seconds like a first grader and answered, 180 hoga! I burst into laughter, lifted my left hand to point to my destination direction and said Bhaiya, 60 Rs. hota hai! There was another auto-wala there to whom this first grader asked something in some unintelligible language. Then I asked again Chaloge kya? only to receive a confused refusal. I started walking again.
The next one was observing me from the diagonally opposite direction. I went to him, mentioned my destination and waited for his reply. I don't remember how much he said. I only remember my assertive reply, which was 60 hota hai! Subah hi ayi thi mai 63 Rs. me.
Him: Aap to meter se bhi kam bol rahe ho
Me: Round figure hai 60!
Him: Meter pe bees rupaya extra dedo!
At this point, I entered into a mood of argument. So I started speaking out.
Me: Ye bees rupaye wala kya logic hai aapka mujhe toh samajh me nahi ata.
Him: Khali ana padta hai. 80 Rs. dedo fir.
Me: Ye bargain kya kar rahe ho aap! Aur aap ko koi na koi passenger mil hi jayega wahan. Khali nahi ana padega. Meri journey to udhar hi khatam hoti hai na! Mai kyu extra pay karu!
Without waiting for his reaction I turned around and started walking.
I crossed the badly designed road and couldn't find any auto around on the busy street. So with a little hope of finding an auto who will demand honest fare, I continued walking. With every step I took, I became firmly assertive that I am not going to get an auto anywhere nearby. I saw a few buses but they failed to allure me. I thought I would rather walk briskly for 1 hour than stand uncomfortably for few minutes in a crowded bus trying to make it's way in the heavy Bangalore traffic. So I started walking.
On my way I was wondering about this popular dialogue which these auto-walas deliver every now and then as the last resort hoping to infect us with pity. They have no logical reason behind this bees rupaya wali demand.
Bhai kyu doon mai aapko bees rupaya? Kya aapne first aid kit lagwaya hai apne auto me? Ki safety belts hai? Ki topple-proof auto hai aapka? Extra paise mai kis liye doon? Chota AC fit kiya hai kya? Ki mujhe aap bees minute jaldi pohonchaoge? Kya wajah hai aapke bees rupaye ke demand ki?! Sawaari acchi nahi lagi to paise wapas karoge kya? Auto ke andar kuch refreshments milenge? Nautanki Lays aur fancy mini coke? Ki garam adrak wali chai milegi? Chota LCD TV fit kiya hai kya aapke auto me? Short film dikhaoge kya?
WHY?!
To give more than what one deserves is charity. I do not believe in it. To give less is injustice which I cannot tolerate. One should always get what one deserves. Nothing more and nothing less. Nobody has right on my earnings. I do not mind spending more if I'm convinced with a valid reason. There has to be a logical reason. I feel strange when people indulge in baseless conversations and assertively declare their feelings. There is dearth of logic and honesty. For them, every ride, chance and opportunity must be profitable. So they indulge in the filth of brainless arguments. In this case, the entire structure and meaning of convenient public transport is lost. They openly rape honesty and dignity. They shamelessly declare their deception and ask us to cooperate with them in their game.
Anyway, I came home walking, despite the risk of ending up with bad menstrual cramps. But fortunately nothing happened. It took me one hour. I'm used to walking for longer duration. So I did not mind investing my time in it. Besides that, I dearly enjoy my unplanned walking and cycling expeditions. ;)
hahaa as usual well written! :) fun read! :D I know how annoying it gets when these people cockily demand whatever the hell they want to and they somehow know that we wouldn't refuse for few extra bucks because we don't really have an option. And that's how they continue extorting commuters. You know, this sort of extortion on small level has tacit agreement of people through compliance and then when it takes bigger glaring forms and afflict them in major ways, they create a hullabaloo. Funny isn't it? Corruption, inefficient employees mindlessly making undeserved demand, lazy inept workers doing crummy jobs all adds up to a miserably messed up system with only whiners around. People should read this. We all should learn to say NO which perhaps seems the hardest thing to do in the world today. At times we really can't help it, but whenever we can, we should refuse to comply. Somewhere somehow someone has to start right? :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the appreciation Young Lady.
ReplyDeleteYou are right about the compliance part. It takes two to tango. They demand we comply without refuting. That should stop.