AUTOMATICALLY AUTO 1 & HALF XTRA Part 2

During my brief stay in Namma Bengalooru, autos became my lifeline. Sure, the buses were always there. But i'm not exactly a public transport not public toilet sort of guy. The traffic jams were a real turn off, so i used the time to strike up interesting conversations with the autowallahs. On one such trip, i learnt about the current status of Banglore's underworld. Apparently, Tamils have become the Godfathers of the city. Me being one, i was dead scared when he told that he didn't like them very much. But thankfully, he said that he'll make an exemption in my case. Moreover, he said that Banglore is the only place where you can walk alone,in the dark or in the crowd, juggle a bundle a cash and still make it back intact. COOL!
My next experience was at 10 PM. I had to make it to the satellite bus stand from the old airport road. I reached in 20 mins flat! The less traffic did help, but i guess he (the auto) was from Charminar in Hyderabad. Apart from Vettel, only Charminar autowallah's are capable of taking pole positions at Buddh circuit and peak traffic.
When it comes to charging by the meter, and ensuring that you reach home safely at night, even though you are drunk, you can always trust a Muslim autofellow. This i can vouch for.
The autofellows get bugged up as much as any guy by the traffic jams. They care about the city and it's people.They are a living testament for the city's changing geography and attitude. They have seen their expenses sky rocket and earnings go down. There is severe competition within themselves and with the Indica cabs.
But there are two things you can always count they'll do. One is Kannada Rajyotsava. They care more about our state than the sad jokers that rule us. They do more for our language than the Kannada professors and the "always crying", linguistic morality groups. They drive the Kannada newspaper and magazine sales. Plus, they speak English, Hindi and just about any other language. The second is Shankar Nag. AutoShankar is THE MUST WATCH MOVIE for all of the auto brethren.  And yes, in any accident, the autowallah is the first guy to stop, help you and even carry you to hospital.
Yes, sometimes they do argue about change, talk rough and go round and round the city, just to keep the meter running and have you fooled. But, what you spend on buying the new Nokia Lumia  or Windows 8, the auto guy manages his brood of 4+ for a month. Try doing that with your IIM degree. Not possible is it?
Reality bites for the autowallahs, and it bites hard. Corrupt traffic cops, maintenance costs of the auto, bank loans and a nagging family back home, no one is born for it or trained for. Destiny thrusts it upon a few. From Charmniar to Lalbagh, from Chennai to Nagpur, their breed is unique, with even a few women joining the club. Next time, you step down from the auto, pay him and are about to walk away, just look him in the eye and say, "Thank You". Who knows, in the big and lonely city, you would have made his entire day by just those words.