Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Auto Rides

There is something to be said for auto rides. I mean, seriously. Beside my fascination with the profession, an auto ride is an experience you cannot forego. Particularly in Chennai city.

Okay, okay, so you have to come equipped with a full wallet. I agree. And you cannot be delicate or faint-hearted because you have to be able to survive the potholes and swerves and manoeuvring that an auto does. It is literally a video game that emphasises survival at all odds.

There may be distractions such as an impossibly large display of Vijay on the windscreen, or an array of God and Goddesses, thereby testifying to the Automan's secularism.

But if you survive the obstacle course and manage to get over the colourful decorations, an auto is an excellent place to think.

This morning, I reached office only to find that I was not allowed to park in my usual spot due to a police programme. I had really no choice but to go back all the way home, leave my car and take an auto. I hate wasting money on autos but this time I surrendered.

It was a pleasant change to have someone drive me around. When I'm driving, there's atleast one half of my brain concentrating on the road (while unconsciously emulating Speed Racer on an Obstacle Course). The other's listening to music and trying to psych myself for the day ahead. But in an auto, there's nothing of that sort. I am not alone with myself. There's a person who's having his own thoughts in that little space. There's no need for conversation. Silence is implied but it is not forced. For once, you don't have to be someone or say something or convey an impression. You're alone and also, you're not.

Maybe it's the open sides of the auto that add to the effect. Whatever it is, I definitely feel connected to the world.

There's noise, there's dust, there's confusion as can only be in India and you're part of it all.

And when you place a couple of notes (not a couple anymore, I'm afraid) in the stranger's hand and get out of the teeny little vehicle, you realise that you're never going to see this person again.Maybe you're more privileged than he is, maybe you're educated and he is not. But for ten minutes, you shared a world.

5 comments:

Vimal said...

Ending the year by going on overdrive, are we? Lol.. I love it!! Automan! Automan!! Yay!

I once travelled from Possadi Gumpe to Kalpetta with a tractor salesman on my old motorcycle. He spoke Konkani and Tulu. I can speak hindi, english, tamil, kannada and telugu besides a bit of 5 other languages. None of us spoke a word for the 5 hours we rode together. We rode along orange and coffee plantations along the magnificent western ghat ridge, on ghat roads and through valleys.

It was the best conversation I have ever had.

Auto Rides was sweet.

Prez said...

Yes, you were the one who said "WRITE!!!!!!!!!!!!", right?

WoW! So many languages!
That sounded like a really nice trip. Was that in Karnataka? Sorry for being ignorant

Vimal said...

and malayalam! i speak malayalam too.

Vimal said...

Yes, I have no complaints! Write thrice a day! I love reading ur blog!

Yes. And i forgot to mention my native language! And quite a bit of french, urdu and oriya too...( might as well do a thorough job of showing off)

Yes, karnataka-kerala border. The landscape is so beautiful that all linguistic and political differences melt away. Tamilnadu is barely 80 km from kalpetta

Anonymous said...

reminds me of basha :D