Manas Garg Speaks

What do you think of when you think about an auto-rickshaw driver? Tampered meters, wicked ways and bad sense of driving? Let me share one trip with you. I had to take an auto from Hyderabad airport to office - a long distance. I asked an auto wallah, and he quoted me the expected 250. That is their standard rate to go anywhere from the airport! I moved ahead, murmuring something to myself and looking for a better deal. I asked another one, and to my surprise this one said “I’ll go by the meter”.

Now, first of all, no auto driver in Hyderabad offers to take you by the meter. And if he does, it means his meter is especially tweaked to facilitate one way transfer of funds. I told him “Your meter must be rigged” He said “No Sir! This is an electronic meter - cannot be rigged”. I knew better - “Ha! Who are you kidding! I’m an engineer - I know that these can be rigged too” and went on to describe him how it could be rigged. I’ll spare you of the details of how to do it.

However, seeing no other better option, I hopped in.

Now, there is a simple way to determine if the auto meter is rigged or not. When the auto is running on a clean stretch of road at constant speed, if you observe the meter advancing, it should ideally advance after regular intervals of time. A rigged meter, on the other hand, doesn’t - sometimes it is normal and sometimes it is faster. I wanted to find out and so I tried observing as hard as I could.

Turned out that the meter was not rigged after all. Reached office and the meter showed Rs 114.60, which is the lowest I’ve ever paid. After paying him, I asked him -”So.. your meter is actually not rigged?” and he was like “Yes Sir - there is talk that the new meters get burnt out if you rig them - and moreover, its more satisfying to earn an honest living and  to drop off your passengers smiling!”

Wow, if only all auto-wallahs were like you my friend..