I love auto rides. I associate them with comfort. Yes, despite the fact that autos are noisy and really annoying in the way they always seem to need CNG while I’m travelling in them, I love them. I call them my reflection rides. That’s the time when I settle back and just observe whatever is happening out on the road in front of me. It may seem odd to certain people that I find autos so satisfying but I guess it started when I was in first year and had to take dirty buses to college.
Being a short tempered person who's prone to mood swings, I would be horribly upset at the unfairness of having to travel by public transport while others (siblings, friends) drove to college. By the time I reached college, I would be ready to snap. It wasn't the bus ride itself. It was the people. To begin with, let me clarify that I am not an elitist but yes I do tend to expect a bit of civilized behaviour from my countrymen/women/children while travelling and when I don't get it I find their apathetic mannerlessness unjustifiable on the basis of the lack of education, wealth etc. The blatant disregard for individual space cannot just simply be a direct social and mental consequence of being an insignificant part of a growing population of more than one billion. I would wake up in the mornings dreading going to college because the thought of all those dirty people spitting everywhere, crowding me, puking out of the bus windows would make me cringe. It was the same story when I returned from college. Since it was usually late afternoon or evening by the time I came home I would be exhausted from a long day in college (contrary to popular belief history honours is not a joke) and would also have had a disgusting bus ride weighing heavy on my shoulders. I would come home and collapse into bed only to be woken by numerous people ringing the door bell, telephone rings and calls on my cell phone. I actually reached a point where even if there was no sound around me I wouldn’t be able to sleep because I had begun dreaming of people ringing the door bell.
All this was slowly beginning to take its toll on me and affecting other aspects of my life. I would link this frustration to everything I was doing. And because I was constantly tired I was seldom in a good mood. So then I decided that something had to be done about it as it was making me into a mean and horrible person who lashed out at people simply because she was not able to come to terms with certain obstacles in her life. People would tell me they were small problems in comparison to what other s went through every day. However, the thing was that this was my life and I really didn’t care about the other billion people and whether they went through a rough time or not. I wasn’t used to it and was not going to compromise. I would vent constantly on the phone to my mother who told me to take autos. Obviously, it wasn’t a practical thing to do but I could treat myself to auto rides once or twice a week. I was overjoyed. Every time I was having a bad morning, or woke up late or simply felt low I would take an auto. Even after college sometimes when the day looked super long and I just didn’t feel up to being subjected to travelling in a bus like sheep being trucked off to slaughter I would take an auto home all the way from college. It was amazing what such a small thing did for my mental peace. I was in a good mood the rest of the day and everything I did went well. I ended up cooking meals that even my mother would be proud of, did my assignments, hung out with friends and didn’t fight with my brother. Because of this I fell in love with autos.
Every time I take one I sit back and relax and think all I want. Numerous random thoughts chase each other and there is a lot of time for me to analyse stuff. Autos are also great for observing people undisturbed. You can be safely ensconced in the dim yellow interior while no one on the road realizes that you’re watching them. Also because autos make so much noise and move in a very unstable way the possibility of studying or doing anything productive disappears and therefore that is actually the time which you have all to yourself because thankfully auto walas don’t expect conversation in addition to what one pays them . Autos are great fun in winters. I have had the privilege of taking one more than a few times while Delhi was experiencing a cold wave of temperatures below three degrees. It was in those few times when I realized how people in Siberia must feel.
Looking at the way I’ve written this it won’t be long before they make me the official promoter of autos in Delhi…. Heheheh :P Autos rule!
Being a short tempered person who's prone to mood swings, I would be horribly upset at the unfairness of having to travel by public transport while others (siblings, friends) drove to college. By the time I reached college, I would be ready to snap. It wasn't the bus ride itself. It was the people. To begin with, let me clarify that I am not an elitist but yes I do tend to expect a bit of civilized behaviour from my countrymen/women/children while travelling and when I don't get it I find their apathetic mannerlessness unjustifiable on the basis of the lack of education, wealth etc. The blatant disregard for individual space cannot just simply be a direct social and mental consequence of being an insignificant part of a growing population of more than one billion. I would wake up in the mornings dreading going to college because the thought of all those dirty people spitting everywhere, crowding me, puking out of the bus windows would make me cringe. It was the same story when I returned from college. Since it was usually late afternoon or evening by the time I came home I would be exhausted from a long day in college (contrary to popular belief history honours is not a joke) and would also have had a disgusting bus ride weighing heavy on my shoulders. I would come home and collapse into bed only to be woken by numerous people ringing the door bell, telephone rings and calls on my cell phone. I actually reached a point where even if there was no sound around me I wouldn’t be able to sleep because I had begun dreaming of people ringing the door bell.
All this was slowly beginning to take its toll on me and affecting other aspects of my life. I would link this frustration to everything I was doing. And because I was constantly tired I was seldom in a good mood. So then I decided that something had to be done about it as it was making me into a mean and horrible person who lashed out at people simply because she was not able to come to terms with certain obstacles in her life. People would tell me they were small problems in comparison to what other s went through every day. However, the thing was that this was my life and I really didn’t care about the other billion people and whether they went through a rough time or not. I wasn’t used to it and was not going to compromise. I would vent constantly on the phone to my mother who told me to take autos. Obviously, it wasn’t a practical thing to do but I could treat myself to auto rides once or twice a week. I was overjoyed. Every time I was having a bad morning, or woke up late or simply felt low I would take an auto. Even after college sometimes when the day looked super long and I just didn’t feel up to being subjected to travelling in a bus like sheep being trucked off to slaughter I would take an auto home all the way from college. It was amazing what such a small thing did for my mental peace. I was in a good mood the rest of the day and everything I did went well. I ended up cooking meals that even my mother would be proud of, did my assignments, hung out with friends and didn’t fight with my brother. Because of this I fell in love with autos.
Every time I take one I sit back and relax and think all I want. Numerous random thoughts chase each other and there is a lot of time for me to analyse stuff. Autos are also great for observing people undisturbed. You can be safely ensconced in the dim yellow interior while no one on the road realizes that you’re watching them. Also because autos make so much noise and move in a very unstable way the possibility of studying or doing anything productive disappears and therefore that is actually the time which you have all to yourself because thankfully auto walas don’t expect conversation in addition to what one pays them . Autos are great fun in winters. I have had the privilege of taking one more than a few times while Delhi was experiencing a cold wave of temperatures below three degrees. It was in those few times when I realized how people in Siberia must feel.
Looking at the way I’ve written this it won’t be long before they make me the official promoter of autos in Delhi…. Heheheh :P Autos rule!
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