Bliss.....

I never thought I would be able to see this sight early in the morning.

Only my phone VGA camera with me, I did the best I could do!!

Happiness.......

I am very happy today for 3 reasons.....
one I don't know
two I don't remember
three I'll tell you later
:)

My experiment with BMTC....

After years of traveling in autos and getting myself and my purse abused, I finally decide to use the BMTC service to reach office. I picked out today to start the adventure. I woke up normally and left my place at 0820hrs. I had not even reached the bus stop, when I saw one bus going past. It was almost empty and if at all my leg was alright, I would have made a dash and caught. But alas! not everything goes your way!! But still, I did not loose hope. I stood at the stop for hardly 5 mins, when another of those comes my way and stops. I stand by the door in the centre, coz that was the place through which I used to get into buses, eons ago. But that door never opened and the bus just went away! I did not expect that and was too flabbergasted to do anything!!
I still did not loose hope and waited. During this time, I got company at the bus stop. One old lady, a techie guy (you can say it by the way they dress up and flaunt their company IDs) and a beautiful female. I smiled at them as they came in, the old lady returned my smile, the techie guy looked at me as though I am an alien and the girl, she just gave me a smirk as though I was a road romeo (maybe I look like one, but I can't help it!!). It was then that I realized, like the bus entrances, the commuters and their attitude, too have changed.
Thankfully, another bus came along soon. Now I just followed the crowd to get into the bus. They got in through the front door, only then did I realize that that bus did not have a conductor, and the driver himself collects the money for the tickets. I pay for the ticket and get a seat to sit!!
Here again I faced the same dilemma, " to smile or not not to smile". I decided that I still need time to understand people so decided not to! I put on my headphones to listen to "Pori Tapori Rachna" and pick up Cohelo and read through several chapters.
I asked the driver to drop me off at the Richmond circle which is around 800 meters from my office, but that chap stopped the bus at Pallavi Theatre which is around 1.5Kms from my office, as the crow flies. On road actual distance is a little more that 2.2Kms. I decide that the morning walk is good for me and I walk and somehow reach the office.
The total time I have spent from the time I left my place to the time I reach office is around 75mins. If I had taken an Auto, the time is anywhere between 30mins to 90mins, depending on how lucky I am and how fast i can convince someone to go to the place where my office is!
The total money spent is actually less than 10%.
So now I have decided to continue my adventurous journey in BMTC for the time being, at least in the mornings, when I have so much of time at hand!!

Autos Auotos everywhere, but not one to go to your place......

Well this is not something new!! I guess almost all of us have faced it and will continue facing it!!
Faulty meters are something that we have learnt to accept in our stride. I live in the south west corner (HSR Layout) of the Silicon Valley (B'lore), it is only 11 to 12 kilometers (depending on which way I take) from the place where I work. Earlier to the AUTO fare hike I used to shell out anywhere between Rs. 66/- to Rs.75/- for the trip to office. Back home was always a nightmare, as it is always after sunset that I leave the office. "Sir, HSRaaa?", is the usual reply when I plead them to come to my place. Depending on the emphasis of the "R", the excess rates used to vary. There have been instances where I have shelled Rs. 150/- to reach home, (I know sounds crazy, but, after spending 2 and half days in the office, I just wanted to go home and hit the bed).
But now after the AUTO fare hike these guys sport a rate conversion card, that is supposed to show the new fare for the old. But surprisingly, I see that the fares in the meters for the same trip to office from home is now anywhere between Rs. 75/- to Rs. 95 /-. On top of that they show the conversion chart and fleece money.
As though this is not enough, some of them have the audacity to ask for Rs. 20/- more on the meter. I have complained umpteen times in police stations inside Bangalore (Bengalooru is the politically correct word nowadays), Frazer town, Austin town, Indiranagar, Airport road, HSR Layout, Koramangala, Rajajinagar, Malleshwaram are some of the police stations where I have lodged complaints. But nowadays I have stopped doing it, after I realized that this way the cops fleece money from the Auto-fella and let him go. So this fella will have a grudge and will invariably take it out on the next customer that he gets by demanding excess money!
I guess it is a vicious circle. I guess I am chasing an UTOPIA, by wanting to travel fairly in the streets of Bengalooru. There is a saying in Kannada, the official language of Bengalooru, "hootitha gunna sootaru hogala". Meaning the characteristics with which one is born refuses to leave you even if you are burnt. So till the day Auto fellas don't tamper with meter, take you to any place you want to go and till they speak to you cordially.........