Indian "Ricks"

Rickshaws!!!They are by far the strangest and most dangerous things running on Indian roads after the municipality buses. Almost 90% of the rickshaw drivers think that they are driving the most powerful engines on road. Most of them also think that they are driving on a private road in their courtyards or they pretend that theres no one on the road.

I had the unfortunate opportunity to travel in one of these dreadful machines a couple of weeks back. I had hurt myself in an accident after which I could not drive my bike to the office. For about two weeks I subjected myself to this torture and got my BP (Blood Pressure) shot up everyday in the morning (even before reaching the office...lol). If you have a bird's eye view of the roads these rickshaws will look like 'beetles' crawling through everywhere possible. They try to get in only such places where a man of normal prudence won't think of taking his vehicle. Guess they take it as a challenge and forget that they are not only risking their own but the passenger's life as well.

Other striking feature about rickshaw drivers are their signals. They use both, their hands as well as legs to signal that they are taking a turn. Not only that but they'll barely take it out and expect you to keep watching them while you are driving. The hand or the leg (for that matter) would hardly be visible before the whole rickshaw turns swiftly in front of you. And on top of that if one is unfortunate enough to bang into them, then God save him!! All the rickshaw drivers suddenly find a lost brother in the aggrieved rickshaw driver whos just met with an accident and they fight together against the man whos probably seen his worst enemy's face in the morning before landing in front of the Rickshaw.

Now rickshaw is also called a "rick" in most of the metros and cosmos. But I am sure this must've originated from the great city of Mumbai. I think people there are too busy even to say the whole word. Mumabai has been the birthplace of many abbreviations. Eg- S.P.D.P meaning sev puri dahi puri, rick meaning rickshaw, tripsie meaning triple seat so on and so forth. So now when anyone says a rick, it sounds smaller and faster. With that it implies the necessary dangers as well. A lot of ricks have awesome(sarcastic) music players in them. The music played in them is understood only by the rick driver and passengers try hard to guess whats been playing for a really long time now. It happens because of the beats all the songs played in a rick carry. All the songs will have "Jhankar beats" (one rot thing introduced by a cassette manufacturing company some years back). All you can make out are the same, typical beats been played with every different song. Moreover, the system has to be played only at deafening decibels. Its not only you but everyone around you who has to listen to what you are listening (sharing and caring you see). This proves that rick drivers are a kind hearted lot.

Now the most amazing and amusing part in a rick is the meter. A meter is an instrument that flashes the fare to be paid by the passenger. It is based on a distance traveled fundamental. The fares are different across different cities in India and Bangalore, I guess has the easiest system of fare calculation. However, as I've mentioned earlier I was commuting by a rick to my office everyday I noticed one thing. The distance to the office never changed, the route never changed, but I ended up paying different fares everyday. Now the company that manufactures most of the meters is called "Standard company" based out of Pune. Everyday I used to check the fare and smile at the irony. Everyday I used to try to explain in vain to the rick driver that the fare I'd paid on first day was the most perfect (as it was the least I've paid....;) ). I paid around Rs 48 (the least as I mentioned) the first day and since then I've been paying anything in between Rs 52/- to Rs 66/-. I argue everyday that it couldn't have been possible but you should know whom to argue with, when and where! Another thing to be noted is how the way you get puzzled when you look at the drivers card (In Bangalore we have this ADDLDS – Auto Driver Driving License Display System ) and you see a completely different man driving the rick. The person in the photo looks like a retro image of the person driving. This happens because the driver would have pasted his college passport size photograph in which (according to him) he looked the best ever in his life.

Anyways, thats how these amazing machines are and this is how the drivers of these machines are. Nothing will change about the way they drive, or the way they argue about money. The only thing that will change are the passengers who keep coming and moving out.