Encounter with Chennai's Public-Private Transport
After having spent 5 years in Chennai, I always thought I knew this about Chennai:
1. Autowallahs are a PITA, they will not let go of an opportunity to rob you, but maybe business if you refuse to be robbed.
2. Buses are damn cheap to travel in, just that you need to get used to claustro-crammia that is induced by such travel.
3. MRTS is a perfect leisurely mode to travel, proven by its frequency.
Being back here 2 years after I passed out, some opinions were bound to change/ get strengthened. How? Here's:
Haggling became a pastime of mine, with the autowallahs conjuring up the most inexplicable excuses for charging what they were. So much so, that an argument of mine with one of them led to my dissecting his business model which accounted for the rent of the vehicle (vandi baadai), his time value, his food and of course fuel expenses. At the end of it, I proved to him that he was charging me at least 40% more than what he should have, and told him that I would never take his auto again, he being such a robber. "OK saaar, praablam illai" is what I got in return.
On the other hand, I met one who straight away said INR 30 for going from Spencer's to Hotel Savera (don't know if it is the right one, still this guy was far better than the ones who were asking for 60 for the same distance!). Towards the end of the journey my mind was so full of appreciation for the middle aged chauffeur of mine, that I felt like giving him an extra 10 bucks, discarding this thought for the fear of 'distorting the market'. In hindsight, I think I know why honesty is not the best policy around these days, if one looks for money at least.
And then there were social worker autowallahs, giving way to EVERY urchin/ beggar/ lay people trying to cross the road in front of our auto, so much so that sometimes they went an extra mile to block the way of the bus coming after us.
Another one did business in the same area as my office, and kinda remembered how much I paid him the first time I took his auto. The next time I came across him, I was wiser and realised I paid 10 bucks extra the first time. "What sir, last time you paid me 40, why 30 this time" said he, when I approached with a relatively rationalised proposition.
The pinnacle came when I got back at a number of them, offering weird figures like 37 rupees, 29 rupees, 46 rupees, when they asked for integer amounts rounded up. This was of course supported by the pretext that I had a few coins, and no change, and I needed to pay him all that I had etc. That also brings us to the fact that getting change from autowallahs is a task tougher than probably getting your credit card complaint resolved by the customer care professionals. Somehow the timing that I took autos was always on the wrong stars for me. In the morning of course he has just started, so he has no change, and in the evening, when I think he has done a day's business and must have change, it is time for a new guy on the duty!
By now, I think I can solemnly make a statement that this time I have never let an autowallah go in Chennai without striking a conversation with him - mostly a cribbing one, but still.
Then there were buses. I think I have figured out that the cleaner, better looking buses are easier to travel in, since they are costlier than the normal(!) ones and the masses do not really prefer this mode of mass transit.
One thing that has surprised me the most is the MRTS. Every 20 minutes starting at a wee hour in the morning until some 1030 in the night, I found the MRTS train indeed useful for commuting. I have a hunch that they kinda cheat on passengers by giving them tickets for the Beach when they want to go to Chintadripet (about 4km closer), but that does not take away even one little bit of its merit.
So far, so good, and the takeaways from this sojourn of mine in Chennai are:
1. The autowallahs are MAX PITA, and one should start haggling and shouting and scowling at them and telling them how one would be better off walking to the destination than wasting money on them, to bring down the prices at least a little. If you are a pretty girl wanting to travel in an auto, I reserve my comments about the edge you have.
2. Yes, buses can be used sometimes too.
3. MRTS rocks.
1. Autowallahs are a PITA, they will not let go of an opportunity to rob you, but maybe business if you refuse to be robbed.
2. Buses are damn cheap to travel in, just that you need to get used to claustro-crammia that is induced by such travel.
3. MRTS is a perfect leisurely mode to travel, proven by its frequency.
Being back here 2 years after I passed out, some opinions were bound to change/ get strengthened. How? Here's:
Haggling became a pastime of mine, with the autowallahs conjuring up the most inexplicable excuses for charging what they were. So much so, that an argument of mine with one of them led to my dissecting his business model which accounted for the rent of the vehicle (vandi baadai), his time value, his food and of course fuel expenses. At the end of it, I proved to him that he was charging me at least 40% more than what he should have, and told him that I would never take his auto again, he being such a robber. "OK saaar, praablam illai" is what I got in return.
On the other hand, I met one who straight away said INR 30 for going from Spencer's to Hotel Savera (don't know if it is the right one, still this guy was far better than the ones who were asking for 60 for the same distance!). Towards the end of the journey my mind was so full of appreciation for the middle aged chauffeur of mine, that I felt like giving him an extra 10 bucks, discarding this thought for the fear of 'distorting the market'. In hindsight, I think I know why honesty is not the best policy around these days, if one looks for money at least.
And then there were social worker autowallahs, giving way to EVERY urchin/ beggar/ lay people trying to cross the road in front of our auto, so much so that sometimes they went an extra mile to block the way of the bus coming after us.
Another one did business in the same area as my office, and kinda remembered how much I paid him the first time I took his auto. The next time I came across him, I was wiser and realised I paid 10 bucks extra the first time. "What sir, last time you paid me 40, why 30 this time" said he, when I approached with a relatively rationalised proposition.
The pinnacle came when I got back at a number of them, offering weird figures like 37 rupees, 29 rupees, 46 rupees, when they asked for integer amounts rounded up. This was of course supported by the pretext that I had a few coins, and no change, and I needed to pay him all that I had etc. That also brings us to the fact that getting change from autowallahs is a task tougher than probably getting your credit card complaint resolved by the customer care professionals. Somehow the timing that I took autos was always on the wrong stars for me. In the morning of course he has just started, so he has no change, and in the evening, when I think he has done a day's business and must have change, it is time for a new guy on the duty!
By now, I think I can solemnly make a statement that this time I have never let an autowallah go in Chennai without striking a conversation with him - mostly a cribbing one, but still.
Then there were buses. I think I have figured out that the cleaner, better looking buses are easier to travel in, since they are costlier than the normal(!) ones and the masses do not really prefer this mode of mass transit.
One thing that has surprised me the most is the MRTS. Every 20 minutes starting at a wee hour in the morning until some 1030 in the night, I found the MRTS train indeed useful for commuting. I have a hunch that they kinda cheat on passengers by giving them tickets for the Beach when they want to go to Chintadripet (about 4km closer), but that does not take away even one little bit of its merit.
So far, so good, and the takeaways from this sojourn of mine in Chennai are:
1. The autowallahs are MAX PITA, and one should start haggling and shouting and scowling at them and telling them how one would be better off walking to the destination than wasting money on them, to bring down the prices at least a little. If you are a pretty girl wanting to travel in an auto, I reserve my comments about the edge you have.
2. Yes, buses can be used sometimes too.
3. MRTS rocks.
posted by Tejas at
8:39 pm
1 Comments:
Godspeed Namma Metro!!! We are waiting.
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