Simply Me
Saturday, September 6, 2008
The Tyre Doctor...
'Oh no.. Its THAT guy again!!!' I turned around to see whom my mom meant... I pretty much realised why THAT guy was WELL THAT guy....
After ages our little Santro had come out for air... so needless to say, before we went to Sheeba's, we decided to check the air in the car tyres... On way we decided to stop at Paud Road to get air filled in the tyres... I stopped at the tyre shop... That's when amma turned and saw HIM...
THAT guy as mom referred to him could be better referred to as the Tyre Doctor... and his diagnosis always is atleast one puncture... So tyre doctor came with the air pump and pressure gauge... I told amma to keep an eye on him... He'd inevitably pull out a rusty nail from one of the tyres...
After filling air in the tyres he comes around and says... You guessed it... 'There's a puncture madam'... I sat there on the wheel laughing... the Tyre Doctor's cohort must have thought me mad when he looked at me... Well put in the spare tyre we said... No that was punctured too...
So to cut a long story short... we reached Sheeba's home an hour late...
What amma and I wondered was how did this guy always find nails in the tyres... Did he have some nails poking out of the road right outside his shop or was it that God gave us sense to bring our car to his shop whenever we had punctures... Either way, next time I'm definitely not going to go to that guy to fill air in our car tyres....
After ages our little Santro had come out for air... so needless to say, before we went to Sheeba's, we decided to check the air in the car tyres... On way we decided to stop at Paud Road to get air filled in the tyres... I stopped at the tyre shop... That's when amma turned and saw HIM...
THAT guy as mom referred to him could be better referred to as the Tyre Doctor... and his diagnosis always is atleast one puncture... So tyre doctor came with the air pump and pressure gauge... I told amma to keep an eye on him... He'd inevitably pull out a rusty nail from one of the tyres...
After filling air in the tyres he comes around and says... You guessed it... 'There's a puncture madam'... I sat there on the wheel laughing... the Tyre Doctor's cohort must have thought me mad when he looked at me... Well put in the spare tyre we said... No that was punctured too...
So to cut a long story short... we reached Sheeba's home an hour late...
What amma and I wondered was how did this guy always find nails in the tyres... Did he have some nails poking out of the road right outside his shop or was it that God gave us sense to bring our car to his shop whenever we had punctures... Either way, next time I'm definitely not going to go to that guy to fill air in our car tyres....
Monday, June 2, 2008
Rules are made to be broken...
One of those great points about the cab service at office (touch wood!!) is the security measures they take... But drivers are quite adept when it comes to breaking rules... Moreover some rules ARE easy to break...
Here's one... Drivers and the front seat passengers are supposed to wear seat belts... and they indeed wear seat belts... for the 45 seconds that it takes to get to the gate... announce who is getting down last... and drive out of the gate... snap comes the belt out of the holder and back to its original position... the employee sitting at the passenger seat pointed this out to the driver today... Its ok for you said the driver... we can't drive with the seat belt... and there ends the argument...
Another says that the drivers have to go for a breath analyzer test before leaving the building... funny thing is, one of my colleagues smelt alcohol in the car one day and it turned out to be an employee... and there was the one time when they found a bottle of alcohol below the driver's seat... the driver was immediately terminated... Nowadays to save on time they do the breath analyser test before employees are seated... how that assures that they won't drink before leaving is quite beyond me...
Another rule is in between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. or so, a female employee can ask for an escort or rather, she HAS to take an escort... Earlier, the drivers used to ask particular guards to sit in the car... now that means that they are friends... so how would the female employee feel safe? We raised this point and the management immediately took measures to overcome this...
Going back to the seat belts, a funny incident took place a few months ago... Two of my colleagues were in the same cab... it was just the two of them in the cab... a guy and a girl... the guiy was to take the last drop... they were both seated on the back seats... a security guy asked the guy to sit in the passenger's seat... After some argument he agreed to sit in the front seat... If you are wondering why he had argued, it was because of the seat belt... He has severe neck aches and can't wear a seat belt... No you have to wear the seat belt said the guards... First they make you take the passenger seat against your will and then make you wear the seat belt... is it strange or what?
A rule says, girls aren't allowed to sit in the passenger seat... My pregnant friend had to tell atleast 3 guards the reason why she couldn't sit in the back seat before we left the office everyday... she finally lost her temper one day when the guard said... Madam, please be seated in the back... NO... she said... who could blame her? Maybe, we decided, to add to the DOs and DON'Ts list, a pregnant lady should have a sign stuck to her forehead declaring as such so that no one pesters her...
When we spoke to the management about some of these problems, some of them said... Wow... we never knew... We come by car... Well, thats easy for them to say... not everyone owns a car and bike accidents on the highway are a whole different story...
Anyway, let me wind up... how do you decide when a rule is helpful and when does it cross the border of sanity?
Here's one... Drivers and the front seat passengers are supposed to wear seat belts... and they indeed wear seat belts... for the 45 seconds that it takes to get to the gate... announce who is getting down last... and drive out of the gate... snap comes the belt out of the holder and back to its original position... the employee sitting at the passenger seat pointed this out to the driver today... Its ok for you said the driver... we can't drive with the seat belt... and there ends the argument...
Another says that the drivers have to go for a breath analyzer test before leaving the building... funny thing is, one of my colleagues smelt alcohol in the car one day and it turned out to be an employee... and there was the one time when they found a bottle of alcohol below the driver's seat... the driver was immediately terminated... Nowadays to save on time they do the breath analyser test before employees are seated... how that assures that they won't drink before leaving is quite beyond me...
Another rule is in between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. or so, a female employee can ask for an escort or rather, she HAS to take an escort... Earlier, the drivers used to ask particular guards to sit in the car... now that means that they are friends... so how would the female employee feel safe? We raised this point and the management immediately took measures to overcome this...
Going back to the seat belts, a funny incident took place a few months ago... Two of my colleagues were in the same cab... it was just the two of them in the cab... a guy and a girl... the guiy was to take the last drop... they were both seated on the back seats... a security guy asked the guy to sit in the passenger's seat... After some argument he agreed to sit in the front seat... If you are wondering why he had argued, it was because of the seat belt... He has severe neck aches and can't wear a seat belt... No you have to wear the seat belt said the guards... First they make you take the passenger seat against your will and then make you wear the seat belt... is it strange or what?
A rule says, girls aren't allowed to sit in the passenger seat... My pregnant friend had to tell atleast 3 guards the reason why she couldn't sit in the back seat before we left the office everyday... she finally lost her temper one day when the guard said... Madam, please be seated in the back... NO... she said... who could blame her? Maybe, we decided, to add to the DOs and DON'Ts list, a pregnant lady should have a sign stuck to her forehead declaring as such so that no one pesters her...
When we spoke to the management about some of these problems, some of them said... Wow... we never knew... We come by car... Well, thats easy for them to say... not everyone owns a car and bike accidents on the highway are a whole different story...
Anyway, let me wind up... how do you decide when a rule is helpful and when does it cross the border of sanity?
Friday, November 2, 2007
Drivers driving us mad...
I can honestly say since I started going to office by cab, I have met drivers who can only be described as 'Namunas' or 'Samples'...
There was once this driver, on way to work. With a hands-free device in his ear, he has that stoic 'Matrix-like' expression on his face when he turns around to face me as we reach the next pick-up point and says,'Do you know she is XYZ's sister?' Heck, I don't know XYZ from Adam... Kya pata maybe some politician or famous builder or something... Aplya adnyanacha pradarshan ka karaycha? 'Oh, is it,' I ask him. A few weeks later another cab driver broached the same subject... Now this guy definitely didn't seem like he would throw me out if I asked... 'Who is XYZ BTW?' 'Oh, he's that person in FLM department...' Dhattt... Socha tha kya... Kya ho gaya.. 8-|
Now we meet a lot of those with the Himesh Reshamiya fetish... Like the one this week... I swear ajeeb tha banda... The first day, it was just I during the pickup... One day of HR maybe u can just about live through... Now the next day, Harsha asked him to play Radio Mirchi... No radio he says... Fine, doosra gaana lagao bhaiyya... Fast forward/Side change... Another Himesh Reshamiya song... Bhaiyya aisa gaana lagao jismein HR nahi ho I say... He changes the casette... Some atrocious oldies casette.. Now I like oldies as much as the next person, don't get me wrong... but the casette player was so bad, the songs sounded like a cheap remix... witout the beats... HEAVEN!!! and just as we reach the office gates, he applies the brakes and before we have even opened the doors, he has put back the HR casette and that at full blast... enough to cause permanant brain and ear damage... Wednesday a remix casette... and what are remixes these days without HR?... Thursday brought some kinda normal songs... Songs we normally hear on radio... Today, he had put on some awful marathi songs casette... where he unearths these casettes is beyond human imagination... the good news is next week there will be a different driver.
The cab driver this week for the drop was another category altogether... He was considerate in that when Sheeba and I ended up talking personal stuff, he increased the volume... Yesterday after dropping off Sheeba and Manish, we were just about to reach the main road when a new song came up 'Ye Ishq Haaye' from 'Jab we met'.. Now I had really fallen in love with this song when I had first heard it, so I asked him to up the volume, he had lowered it so that it was hardly audible(I know, unbelievable but true.. this guy slows down the car or stops the car at the side of the road when he gets a call and reduces the volume of the radio... though he has a penchant for speed and the ditches in the road, and if you are a Punekar, you ought to know, the situation is more like roads in the middle of ditches rather than the other way around and he drives real fast...) So when I ask him to increase the volume, he first fiddles a bit and increases the volume, he slows down and then stops completely, still fiddling, he changes the balance so that it comes up nice and loud right behind my ear from the right-side speakers... This takes 2 whole minutes and I am left wondering what devil had possessed me to ask him to increase the volume. I would rather have gone home and had dinner.. I was famished...
Then there are other categories of drivers... one of the first drivers I came across pretty much told me about his life.. his cars, his houses in Pune... another kept on bitching(does that word apply to guys?)... about the pick-ups, about the company FLM guys... everything... I mean I have observed that many people have the propensity to pour their hearts, feelings, miseries and joys out to me... Agony aunt.. maybe thats who I am... I sure don't mind that when it comes to friends and family; I mean thats what we are there for right? But I sure didn't want to listen to these people, I couldn't care less... I mean, the properties in Pune, the 4 cars and 5 drivers, how this week would be the last... It was more information than I could stomach thats for sure...
One of the most enjoyable drops was in one of the first 2-3 weeks... This guy drove soooooo beautifully, he drove at about 80, but I can honestly say I didn't feel one rut in the road nor did he step on the brakes and accelerator every other second making the ride feel like a jerky ferris wheel ride like some other drivers... On that friday, just before getting down, I bent forward and congratulated him on his wonderful driving skills...
Well with this week ending and next week indicating 2 new drivers for pick-up and drop, lets see what new category I end up meeting...
There was once this driver, on way to work. With a hands-free device in his ear, he has that stoic 'Matrix-like' expression on his face when he turns around to face me as we reach the next pick-up point and says,'Do you know she is XYZ's sister?' Heck, I don't know XYZ from Adam... Kya pata maybe some politician or famous builder or something... Aplya adnyanacha pradarshan ka karaycha? 'Oh, is it,' I ask him. A few weeks later another cab driver broached the same subject... Now this guy definitely didn't seem like he would throw me out if I asked... 'Who is XYZ BTW?' 'Oh, he's that person in FLM department...' Dhattt... Socha tha kya... Kya ho gaya.. 8-|
Now we meet a lot of those with the Himesh Reshamiya fetish... Like the one this week... I swear ajeeb tha banda... The first day, it was just I during the pickup... One day of HR maybe u can just about live through... Now the next day, Harsha asked him to play Radio Mirchi... No radio he says... Fine, doosra gaana lagao bhaiyya... Fast forward/Side change... Another Himesh Reshamiya song... Bhaiyya aisa gaana lagao jismein HR nahi ho I say... He changes the casette... Some atrocious oldies casette.. Now I like oldies as much as the next person, don't get me wrong... but the casette player was so bad, the songs sounded like a cheap remix... witout the beats... HEAVEN!!! and just as we reach the office gates, he applies the brakes and before we have even opened the doors, he has put back the HR casette and that at full blast... enough to cause permanant brain and ear damage... Wednesday a remix casette... and what are remixes these days without HR?... Thursday brought some kinda normal songs... Songs we normally hear on radio... Today, he had put on some awful marathi songs casette... where he unearths these casettes is beyond human imagination... the good news is next week there will be a different driver.
The cab driver this week for the drop was another category altogether... He was considerate in that when Sheeba and I ended up talking personal stuff, he increased the volume... Yesterday after dropping off Sheeba and Manish, we were just about to reach the main road when a new song came up 'Ye Ishq Haaye' from 'Jab we met'.. Now I had really fallen in love with this song when I had first heard it, so I asked him to up the volume, he had lowered it so that it was hardly audible(I know, unbelievable but true.. this guy slows down the car or stops the car at the side of the road when he gets a call and reduces the volume of the radio... though he has a penchant for speed and the ditches in the road, and if you are a Punekar, you ought to know, the situation is more like roads in the middle of ditches rather than the other way around and he drives real fast...) So when I ask him to increase the volume, he first fiddles a bit and increases the volume, he slows down and then stops completely, still fiddling, he changes the balance so that it comes up nice and loud right behind my ear from the right-side speakers... This takes 2 whole minutes and I am left wondering what devil had possessed me to ask him to increase the volume. I would rather have gone home and had dinner.. I was famished...
Then there are other categories of drivers... one of the first drivers I came across pretty much told me about his life.. his cars, his houses in Pune... another kept on bitching(does that word apply to guys?)... about the pick-ups, about the company FLM guys... everything... I mean I have observed that many people have the propensity to pour their hearts, feelings, miseries and joys out to me... Agony aunt.. maybe thats who I am... I sure don't mind that when it comes to friends and family; I mean thats what we are there for right? But I sure didn't want to listen to these people, I couldn't care less... I mean, the properties in Pune, the 4 cars and 5 drivers, how this week would be the last... It was more information than I could stomach thats for sure...
One of the most enjoyable drops was in one of the first 2-3 weeks... This guy drove soooooo beautifully, he drove at about 80, but I can honestly say I didn't feel one rut in the road nor did he step on the brakes and accelerator every other second making the ride feel like a jerky ferris wheel ride like some other drivers... On that friday, just before getting down, I bent forward and congratulated him on his wonderful driving skills...
Well with this week ending and next week indicating 2 new drivers for pick-up and drop, lets see what new category I end up meeting...
