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07/06/2015

Human or not human, that is the question

In India, whether you are a tourist or a local, you will be most likely hoping in and out of taxis and / or rickshaws ("tuktuk" for the tourists, "auto" for the others) a lot. It's cheap, they are everywhere, you avoid the hassle of getting a parking space or struggling to find your way around. There is no debate, it is damm convenient. Not necessarily good for the back but useful. THE problem is that taxi or rickshaw drivers are often perceived as thieves. They refuse to start the meter, they forget to reset it, they take you for a merry-go-round around the city:  they have a bad reputation. Moreover it is almost only in Mumbai that they actually agree to put the meter on, in other places they just won’t, sometimes find it easier to just not have a meter at all… In such cases, you are supposed to know the distance and the approximate fare, and the journey starts with a bargaining session.              

This exercise can prove very frustrating, irritating, to the point that sometimes you may decide to actually just not step out so that you won’t have to go through these discussions. For all these reasons, we tend to treat the drivers of such vehicles as subhuman, machines (extension of their manoeuvre stick), from whom we expect nothing but a fight (about the way to take or the amount to pay) and a good bone-shaking ride. Of the lot, taxi drivers are considered the most rogue, hence the exponential growth of radio taxis (just for the pleasure of not having to argue).     

In the daily routine of rickshaw-work-sleep, it's like in the French subway: not yet fully awake, you are half sleeping half sulking on the back bench of the auto. The driver, that you barely looked at before sitting (no need to, he’s a machine anyway), doesn’t ask you the questions he usually showers the tourists with (“Where do you come from? What do you do? Do you like India?”). With the Indian code of politeness, you can easily skip the Western ‘courtesies’: no need to say hello or please, or thank you, let alone smile. Provide the address in the beginning and say "baas" (stop) when you reach your destination, and rock gently your head from side to side as a thanking gesture, that will be enough.            

The foreigner usually makes it a point of honor not to leave a tip, as the drivers are already robbing him. He may therefore lose quite a bit of time (forgetting at his convenience that time is money) for a rupee or two. But it is a question of PRIN-CI-PLE. And the foreigner will blame all his fellow whitemen who do not follow his PRIN-CI-PLE, giving 'bad habits' to Indian drivers, instilling the idea that foreigners are walking dollars and can be easily extorted more money than necessary. It is therefore all the more important to implement this PRIN-CI-PLE strictly.

I was like that for quite some time. The kind of scenes I have made for five rupees! And then one day I had enough, I started again to say “thank you” to the drivers, and to round up (well, except in cases where they are assholes for one reason or another), or even to smile ... And if I'm not too tired, I even try some of my Hindi! More often in taxis because the trips are usually longer than in rickshaws. And I quite often hear crazy stories!    

That's why I wanted to share this note 'Humans of Mumbai'. I discovered this group one day I was walking with Junior in the baby carrier; they wanted to interview me but I was unfortunately having a very bad day and I declined. Anyway, I read with pleasure their daily notes that re-humanize a bit everyone ... Including drivers !!

 

Humans of Mumbai.jpg

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Humans-of-Bombay/188056068070045?fref=ts  

08/14/2013

We all have days like that...

This morning my rickshaw driver had no change he had to give me back 20 on 50 rupees. He forced me to ask some watchman. Who didn’t have the change.  

Then he wanted to force me to go and ask the cigarettes walla. I told him “No. YOU go.” (firstly I am shy and secondly it is his fault if he doesn’t have the change – which is actually debatable but not when they have attitude like this one!).  

So he refused to go. And with such an air... I would have slapped him... 

 

So I went up to the office and started working. It took him about fifteen minutes to realise that I was not going to back down! Whereupon he sent to watchman up to seek his due! 

 

 

A few hours later, I was discussing the “development” of one of my guys. Here is the conclusion of the session: 

-         Me: So we put that you are going to read a book about a great leader. Do you have any name in mind? 

-         Him: Yes! Hitler. 

-         Me (distracted): Ok, ok.  

-         Me: Give me the title, I'll put it in your sheet.

-         Him: Hitler 

-         Me: Whaaaaaat??  

-         Him: Yeah he was a great leader! 

-         Me: True. But he also got millions of people killed... Okay, Let's put that you're going to read a book about a great business leader ok?

 

06/04/2013

My daily life in Mumbai - The morning rickshaw ride

So here's how it starts: with a 10 minute rickshaw ride (sometimes I drive my car also, when I am well awake and have the courage to go play Mario Kart TV reality style  – being well awake has its importance here, because otherwise I have to work my way through the crowd with my mirrors and somehow people don’t seem so happy about that...):

 

 

 

 

India,Mumbai,rickshaw,driving

View from the sky: My itinerary from Home to Office in Mumbai

 

 

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