Mention Kolkata and the first thing comes to mind is yellow Ambassador taxis. Perhaps, this is the only place in India where Ambassador cars are used as taxis.
I landed in Kolkata today. I could have taken radio taxi. The airport is full of those posh counters for air conditioned taxis. But I consciously settled for Kolkata's signature transport.
The counter read, Pre-paid Taxi - Kolkata Police. I thought its safe and interesting!
So the ride began....
It was pouring outside. And the driver was reluctant to pull the windows down to let me get some air. So I insisted, and he relented.
After using the electronic button for 10 years to pull down the car windows, it was fun for me to try the rusted handle. I opened my window at the back also. Water was coming inside from the windows which were down.
Then I realised that the driver was not using the wipers, though it was chucking down. I asked if they are working - a quiet man, he just shook his head. After a while he turned on the wipers. The wipers started moving in slow motion. They made no difference to the cats and dogs falling on the windscreen.
I had decided to have this ride with all my awareness.
I noticed that at each traffic light, he switched off the ignition, irrespective the stop was for less than half a minute. The reason I could not understand.
So I heard each sound and analysed it. Every time he shifted the gear, it made a cranky sound. When he started the ignition, I could feel as if the whole chassis had been shaken. The reverse gear was the worst for which he could manage after 4-5 attempts.
The interiors of the taxi were more or less similar to those of black and yellow Premier Padminis which we see on congested Mumbai roads. The glove box had a huge pad lock. There was a hole where the music was supposed to be. Each panel of the door had the vehicle registration number painted crudely on it.
Simply in love with these yellow monsters, I asked the driver if the construction of metro (not the famous Calcutta Tube but the sky train) would affect this business, he, with his expressionless face, just shook his head, which I could not make out was for yes or no.
So this quiet driver misses the turn where I had to get off and we had to take an extra km to drop me at y destination. When the car came to a halt, with a lot of gurgling and shaking, the driver speaks now: "madame will you not give me anything as we had to take a long way to come here?"
In normal circumstances, I wouldn't have given anything thinking I have already paid for my ride. But since the ride was so amusing and I enjoyed it thoroughly, I decided to make his day. I paid him 100 Rs. only for the reason that he had made my day with a memorable ride!
I landed in Kolkata today. I could have taken radio taxi. The airport is full of those posh counters for air conditioned taxis. But I consciously settled for Kolkata's signature transport.
The counter read, Pre-paid Taxi - Kolkata Police. I thought its safe and interesting!
So the ride began....
It was pouring outside. And the driver was reluctant to pull the windows down to let me get some air. So I insisted, and he relented.
After using the electronic button for 10 years to pull down the car windows, it was fun for me to try the rusted handle. I opened my window at the back also. Water was coming inside from the windows which were down.
Then I realised that the driver was not using the wipers, though it was chucking down. I asked if they are working - a quiet man, he just shook his head. After a while he turned on the wipers. The wipers started moving in slow motion. They made no difference to the cats and dogs falling on the windscreen.
I had decided to have this ride with all my awareness.
I noticed that at each traffic light, he switched off the ignition, irrespective the stop was for less than half a minute. The reason I could not understand.
So I heard each sound and analysed it. Every time he shifted the gear, it made a cranky sound. When he started the ignition, I could feel as if the whole chassis had been shaken. The reverse gear was the worst for which he could manage after 4-5 attempts.
The interiors of the taxi were more or less similar to those of black and yellow Premier Padminis which we see on congested Mumbai roads. The glove box had a huge pad lock. There was a hole where the music was supposed to be. Each panel of the door had the vehicle registration number painted crudely on it.
Simply in love with these yellow monsters, I asked the driver if the construction of metro (not the famous Calcutta Tube but the sky train) would affect this business, he, with his expressionless face, just shook his head, which I could not make out was for yes or no.
So this quiet driver misses the turn where I had to get off and we had to take an extra km to drop me at y destination. When the car came to a halt, with a lot of gurgling and shaking, the driver speaks now: "madame will you not give me anything as we had to take a long way to come here?"
In normal circumstances, I wouldn't have given anything thinking I have already paid for my ride. But since the ride was so amusing and I enjoyed it thoroughly, I decided to make his day. I paid him 100 Rs. only for the reason that he had made my day with a memorable ride!
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