Experience with Auto-wallas of Mumbai

When it comes to public transport in Mumbai, the first thing that comes to mind is an auto-rickshaw. Autos ply all over in Mumbai and the joy that you get travelling in it is unbounded.

Auto drivers always believe in hardwork and the amount of efforts that they put in riding the rickshaw is unimaginable. They are always available for us, be it any season – summer, winter or monsoon or at any time of the day- early morning, morning, afternoon, evening, night and even during mid night they drive autos so that the passengers could have a safe and comfortable experience.

I wish to share some of the experiences of my ride in auto-rickshaws

Whenever I travel in an auto, I speak to the driver most of the time. Asking him about his whereabouts, about his family, about his village, about general Mumbai life or about festivals etc. They are very simple and when you ride in an auto, you feel secured and safe.

Story#1

Once i met an uncle who is about 65 yrs old and was driving an auto. He was sharing his experience that since 35+ yrs he has been riding auto in Mumbai and he had many children and all his children are graduates and well settled. He saved his money that he was earning by riding autos but he invested them for his children’s education and their marriage. Even after that he didn’t want to depend on his children’s earning and he wanted his own independent income even at the age of 65. Hats off to the uncle who despite his age was working independently and doing his workko ko o passionately. This story simply proves that age has no limit and when i heard the uncle’s story i saluted him that even today he is doing what he is passionate for and helping others.

Story#2

Auto drivers are very helpful and honest in their work.
Once I was travelling to Borivali from Dahisar and was speaking to the auto driver and was having a good time and then i reached my destination and i came back home. When i came home , I found that my mobile phone was missing. I was scared and i immediately called my number but there was no response. I again called but again it was unreachable. I was very much tensed as the mobile was a costly mobile and more importantly the data was very crucial as it had all my contacts, media files and important messages and literally i didn’t take any backup so if i didn’t find then it could have been a heavy loss for me. After few mins I was getting a call from an unknown number and I ran and picked the call immediately. It was the same auto driver and he told me that he found my mobile phone under the seat and then i coordinated with him and he handed over my phone. I gave him a reward and thanked him for his honesty.

Story#3

Another beautiful experience I had with an auto driver. When I was interacting with the auto driver, as usual my habit of asking about his birthplace etc. The noble driver told me that he was from Uttar Pradesh and was telling me about his farming, parents and shared lot of stories about his family. After speaking to him for sometime i played songs from the movie “Ganga Maiya Tohe Piyari Chadhaybio” which was the first bhojpuri movie. As soon as he started listening to the songs of This movie he was transposed back to his childhood days and he remembered his parents and how they went to the theatre to watch this movie in the 1960’s when he was a small boy. He started sharing his lifetime experiences about this movie and he was listening to these songs after more than 40 years and he told me that this was the best day of his life as i refreshed his old memories and hearing that made my day too and seeing him happy my happiness doubled and it was an unforgettable experience for me. “Ganga Maiya Tohe Piyari Chadhaybio” had songs penned by Shailendra and music was by Chitragupta and all the songs are simply out of the world.

Story#4

“Singing” has always been my passion and I am a person who can sing anywhere – be it home, bathroom, a karoke studio , on the road and even inside an auto. I was singing while travelling in an auto all my favorite songs of the golden era and to my surprise the auto driver too was passionate about singing. I was travelling from Mulund to Dahisar by auto and we both started singing together. It was a “rang bhari mehfil” and even people on the roads were looking at both of us. We started singing so many songs together – for example songs like “Chahunga Mein Tujhe Saanj Savere”, “Kuch Tho Log Kahenge”, “Mere Mehboob Qayamat Hogi”, “Jeena Yahan Marna Yahan”, “Deewana Hua Badal”, etc to name a few. It took more than 2 hrs to reach Dahisar and it was literally a musical evening for me inside the auto and it was so much happiness that i found an auto driver who liked singing same as me. At the end when i reached home , we both exchanged our numbers and i hugged him and he told me at the end we will meet again and sing together.

Story#5

It has happened many times like you have met an auto driver and after few days or 1 month you meet the same auto driver.
I met an auto driver and i was travelling with him to borivali and when i caught the auto, he was smiling at me and suddenly I remembered travelling with him to my Chandivali office few times. From Dahisar to Chandivali is a long distance and when you travel long distance with an auto driver there are chances that the auto driver could recognise you instantly or vice-a-versa..Same happened with me and the auto driver was so happy to take me for a ride again.
I switched my job recently and I went outside my office in Vikhroli to catch an auto to ghatkopar metro station and the auto driver immediately asked me “Saheb, aap yahan. Aapne mujhe pehchaana”? This time I told him that I have seen you somewhere but cannot remember you. So he told me that I am the same auto driver who took you so many times to borivali from Chandivali, your previous company. I was mesmerized that despite taking so many passengers on a daily basis , he still remembered me and recognised me .
This is how you make memories and auto drivers remember their loyal passengers and you embark a place in their life.
Shailendra ‘s lines i remember , “Choti Si Ye Duniya, Pehchaane Raaste, Tum Kahin Tho Miloge, Kabhi Tho Miloge, Tho Poochenge Haal”.

Story # 6

Once i met an auto driver who was from Kolhapur district of Maharashtra. He knew only the local Marathi language. It was a long drive in his auto rickshaw and throughout the journey I communicated with him only in Marathi language. We spoke on lot of things like Indian politics, about famous Kolhapuri Misal and famous foods that we get in Kolhapur. He was so happy and he literally thought that My roots too belong to Maharashtra and after 2 hrs of journey, I told him that my roots belong to Kerala. His immediate reaction was that I thought you are a Maharashtrian. I told him that since I was born and brought up in our Mumbai, so i am very much familiar with the language and with the people.

I am good in changing my accent and talking to people. Once I communicated in a Bihari accent to an auto driver and spoke a lot of things on Bihari culture and traditions and my entire conversations were in Bihari style. The auto driver felt very happy in finding someone who could interact with him in his own language and style and it was an outstanding journey.

We should interact with the auto drivers and speak about something like their hometown, school, childhood friends etc and also communicating in the auto driver’s language is simply icing on the cake. They get a homely feeling in speaking to us.

Story#7

Auto drivers help us in many ways apart from helping us reach our destination.
I was coming from the airport once and it was midnight and I had more than 3 airbags with me. The auto driver first helped me to keep those bags safely in the back of the auto. Once i reached home it was midnight and the security guard too had slept. I requested the auto driver to help me carry the luggage till my house and the driver at once obliged my request and came home to carry the bags and it was such a noble gesture from his end and I was very happy and gave him some extra amount which he denied and told me that it was not needed and returned the money to me.
Similarly few auto drivers have helped me carry the luggage till local stations as well and even in the market too. Despite this not being their duty, still they help us in many ways and this is indeed their gesture.

In the olden days, there were cycle rickshaws which were used. Cycle rickshaws just had two wheels while the auto rickshaw has 3 wheels. Regarding the cycle rickshaws, the driver himself lifts the rickshaws and carries the passengers and such rickshaws are still used even today in some part of India.

There was a nice Hindi song penned by poet Shailendra regarding such cycle rickshaws in the movie Choti Bahen which released in 1959. Shailendra writes “Mein Rickshawala, Hai Chaar ke Barabar Ye Do Taang Wala”

The cycle Rickshawala though just had two wheels, but it still could carry three to four passengers at a time and the driver plays a huge role here and he himself carries the cycle rickshaws to help the passengers reach their destination. Shailendra then writes,”Door Door koi mujhko bulaye, kya karoon Dil usse bhool na paaye, mein rishte jodu Dil ke , mujhe hi manzil pe koi na pahunchaye”.
It happens many times that we call the autos and travel long distance and this journey gives an unforgettable experience to both the driver and the passenger and the drivers remember the passenger for a long time and they always remember you. But the drivers themselves have to reach their own destination. Many times it happens that the auto drivers after dropping all the passengers they go to their house in the same auto or they park their auto and take a train till their house. This is what Shailendra has conveyed in this song that the auto driver himself needs to reach their destination. Sometimes they spend their entire night in the auto itself. Once an auto driver took me to reach my house at 10 pm in the night and I asked him when will you go to your house. Then he told me that since it’s very late , and i stay far. That is the reason I will sleep in my auto only and early morning I will go home.
We can actually see their life is very tough. They help the passengers in many ways but they need to help themselves at the end of the day by sleeping in the auto itself or eating somewhere on the roadside.
One more quote was penned by Shailendra where he writes “Hai Tan Pe Bhoj, man pe bhoj, Dil ka bura nahi hoon, Dil Benazir “. This song was from the movie Dil Tera Deewana(1962)
Though he works very hard and his body, everything has a weight and he needs to carry the weight of the passenger and has to work hard so that the passenger can reach his place, but the auto driver has a pure heart and is a unique personality. He knows how to driver the auto in any road, even when there are potholes on the roads or there is speed breaker or there is a crack in the road. He strives hard to earn his living and with his unique skills he is making a mark. This is the reason Shailendra has used the word “Benazir” which means an unique personality from the heart.

Always remember that even the auto drivers have a family and they have to reach their house too. Sometimes they would agree to travel with us and sometimes they could refuse and even if they refuse, do co-operate with them as they are also human beings and life is short so Live life to the fullest and enjoy every moment happily.