I would like to share my struggle , not for freedom , but of learning car driving. The reality check of public transport system in Mumbai - the local trains don’t have space left anymore for humans unless you are allowed to sit on someone’s lap, the public buses are not in plenty and the auto drivers don't always oblige you to drop you at your destination
One fine day I decided – “Enough is enough, I will now buy my own car and get my independence from the public transport system .” I always thought driving a car was a child's play and would learn to drive in a jiffy.(lady driver next door was big enough prick on my male ego).
I went to the nearest driving school and enrolled . The driver came with an old Maruti 800 the same day and I happily sat on the driver's seat and started driving as per his instruction. The one hour of driving lesson per day included fifteen minutes of tea break for the instructor,ten mintues of waiting for the other co-learners.That day,I drove the car and found that it was really easy, the brakes were being applied even though I didn’t do a thing.I came home and told my wife about how easily I could drive. My bubble burst when my friend revealed the secret to me that it was the driver who was controlling the car as he had a separate set of clutch and brakes on his side.
I continued learning for three more days in that old Maruti and my instructor then asked me to practice in my new car. And I did so without any hesitation. One week of continuous pressure on the clutch,brakes,gears and tyres finally took its toll and the first free service of my new car was done within 20kms.This is a record that still stands on my name at the service center.
I continued learning for three more days in that old Maruti and my instructor then asked me to practice in my new car. And I did so without any hesitation. One week of continuous pressure on the clutch,brakes,gears and tyres finally took its toll and the first free service of my new car was done within 20kms.This is a record that still stands on my name at the service center.
My instructor gave me another heart breaking news that I was dreading from the time I joined. I had the driving test the next day and I had to go to the RTO. The next morning,I said my prayers, got all the wishes from the near and dear ones.I was ready for the battle. The inspector and the instructor were waiting for me.
The inspector sat next to me and the driver was at the back seat.As soon as I started the car, 'Zoom ' it went. The car just shed its inertia and took off like an aeroplane. My instructor was shouting to control the car. Somehow, the car landed on the tarmac after a perfect take off.I passed the flying test and failed the driving test. The instructor’s proud record of having 100% record of his wards passing the test was shattered to pieces by me.
The second time I took the test, the inspector remembering his near-death experience ,didn’t fail to put on his seat belts(whispered his prayers too!!) . I drove very carefully and was quietly confident of clearing the test till the inspector dropped the bombshell – “Reverse the car and park the car between the two cars”.I looked helplessly and was hoping to get some help from my instructor but to no avail.I tried to reverse but the car would come to a stuttering halt.The inspector waited patiently for half an hour before he failed me again.
The third attempt was even more miserable , I could not start the car twice. I felt really humiliated and very sad. I thought car driving was not my cup of tea.
As with all the labor intensive business processes, I decided to outsource this process too. I appointed a driver paying him a good salary. He was obedient in the beginning and as is the norm, gradually became the undisputed owner of the car. He would listen to music that he liked(we used to have silent tug of war of the music channels, the frequent shuffling of the channels was tiring),used to switch on the AC while waiting for me at my workplace and wasted the precious natural resource – petrol(I also had a reason to believe that he was siphoning off the fuel from the tank). I changed the driver but the experience didn’t change.
The end of my story is not surprising. The Santro Zing , that I had bought with such hopes is lying in my garage with no takers. And to add to my woes, I am still paying the EMI for it.
And the final nail in my coffin, my neighbors are very curious to know why I was not driving the car any more (they had watched me learning in my area). I dare not reveal to them that I had failed thrice.(I had taken the oath from my wife too)
Nowadays , I use public transport system - the local trains,the buses and auto rickshaws and reason with myself and others of the need to reduce the carbon foot print . My respect (envy is the right emotion) for car drivers has increased many fold.
As with all the labor intensive business processes, I decided to outsource this process too. I appointed a driver paying him a good salary. He was obedient in the beginning and as is the norm, gradually became the undisputed owner of the car. He would listen to music that he liked(we used to have silent tug of war of the music channels, the frequent shuffling of the channels was tiring),used to switch on the AC while waiting for me at my workplace and wasted the precious natural resource – petrol(I also had a reason to believe that he was siphoning off the fuel from the tank). I changed the driver but the experience didn’t change.
The end of my story is not surprising. The Santro Zing , that I had bought with such hopes is lying in my garage with no takers. And to add to my woes, I am still paying the EMI for it.
And the final nail in my coffin, my neighbors are very curious to know why I was not driving the car any more (they had watched me learning in my area). I dare not reveal to them that I had failed thrice.(I had taken the oath from my wife too)
Nowadays , I use public transport system - the local trains,the buses and auto rickshaws and reason with myself and others of the need to reduce the carbon foot print . My respect (envy is the right emotion) for car drivers has increased many fold.
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