Auta Saar, Auto Bosss
No welcome words greet me or a pleasant hug from loved ones , just me and the heavy bags. As I walk past the tarmarc of Railway station or bus stand one crowd greets me in unison. It’s khaki clad auto fellas who greet in chorus …. Auta Saar, Auto Bosss.
Auto’s are the popular option available to take us home, unless you fall in the lucky lot who has a loved one waiting to pick you from the tired journey.
For the less miserables ones like me auto walls are the only known acquiantances willing to take me home for a price. But hiring one of these freaks are ” blessed “with all sorts of bargains and fare arguments. Yes, they are very good in their trade and I for one is very clumsy in handling such fare bargains.
Due to this handicap in closing fare deals, I use other modes to closer to home or a point away from these landing places. Another reason which I start detesting is to avoid saving my precisius dough and not willing to give it out to these auto sirs.
Every visitor coming to B’lore would have some tale to trade about being taken for a ride by these auto dirvers. I’ve plenty and so I do my best to avoid any deals with them.
When I come by bus I get down at Madivala and by train I alight at K.R Puram. My destination is Cambridge Layout not a far corner from these points.
K.R puram railway station to Cambridge layout
From K.R puram, Cambridge Layout can be Rs 50 ride but these guys ask fancy price starting well beyond Rs 100. I remember once when my friends landed in this station, the auto driver took them around Indira Nagar in circles and finally reaching Cambridge Layout with a tired meter @ Rs 150/-. These experiences has taught me to avoid these Khaki clad demi gods .
Madivala 2 Cambridge Layout
When I land in Madivala, I often board public transport bus or the frequently plying call center cabs. The pain is the lug my baggage which usually goes beyond 3 bags and covers. In spite of this I manage to carry it across the road and wait for the bus.
I often tell my wife to do the same, she hasn’t for once gone with my word. For her stepping into an auto with a fair bargain sounds better than taking all the pains..
When I board a bus from Madivala Mosque bus stand I usally get down after the Indira Nagar fly over bridge and from there an auto with a minimum fare to home.. Amount saved may not be so big but the satisfaction I get go beyond the money saved.
Similarly when I aligt at K.R puram railway station, I cut across the swap of auto fellas and corss the road. From here I take a bus to drop me near Ulsoor stand and from there another auto.
Sounds painful but I do this most of the time.. Often I wonder why I should this much trouble to save around 30 bucks. I don’t have the answer, maybe because I do for my own pleasure of doing things differently ….
So, next time you land in B’lore I would suggest you to either cut down on the asking price by a half or take up transport bus to reach your destination. Small actions but it can help in some way to cull down the excesses of the auto drivers in Bangalore .
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