Hi All,
Today, I become the victim of Bangalore Auto Rickshaw’s bad behavior and Bangalore traffic police biased nature. I know, in Bangalore, everyone is a victim of auto-rickshaw bad behavior and monopoly but I am just wondering why we could not do anything for this.
Today at 07:45 PM, I asked an auto-rickshaw driver for “Murgeshpalya bus stop”; he asked me for 20 rupees. Though, I was aware that going from “GM Palya” to “Murgeshpalya” will cost around 28 rupees, I felt unethical to go through the fixed price and I asked him to go by the meter. He didn’t agree on this (going by the meter when it cost high!!!). Then I asked another auto-rickshaw and he asked me for 40 rupees and so on…. It happened again and again with 5-6 auto-rickshaws… I got the same response from every auto-rickshaw... I was in the dilemma whether auto-rickshaw drivers in India have completely lost their integrity or they are playing the role of beggars here. At last, when I had no choice, I asked first auto-rickshaw to go. He asked again for 20 rupees. When I got in, he asked me again, where you want to go??? I was surprised and told him that I want to go to “Murgeshpalya bus stop” then he said he heard that I want to go “BEML bus stop”. “BEML bus stop” is 4 minutes walk from the “GM Palaya bus stop”. I told him that I am not such a fool that who is gonna pay 20 rupees for 1 KM then he said he is going to put-down the meter now and will go by meter. I agreed on this. While on the way, he stopped the auto-rickshaw and boarded two more passengers. I got pissed-off seeing this thing but I had to maintain the silence because the place where he stopped this auto was interior and quite far away from the main road.
When the auto-rickshaw reached in BEML gate, I told auto-rickshaw driver that now I am not going to pay by meter because it’s shared auto now. I told him that I am going to pay only 10 rupees not more than (once I reached the destination). That’s what shared auto-rickshaw people charge here. I was not very much comfortable in going with other two guys. When I reached “Airport road bus stop” I told him that I want to get down here (it’s in between GM Palaya and Airport Road), I was not at all comfortable in sitting with other two guys. I got down and gave him 10 rupees. After that, he asked me to pay the full 18 rupees on meter. I said, I told him that it’s shared auto now and he was very much aware about this thing. He started quarrel on the spot and I asked him to go to police. He said, let’s go to police station. I figured out a traffic police cop on duty there. It was around 08:00PM in night. We both went to traffic cop and this driver started talking in local Kanada language. I don’t know Kanaada language so I was quite and then once he finished, I told the traffic cop that he boarded tw people on the way and made it auto shared. It’s not my fault and I explained him that I told him this thing. Traffic cop again said something in Kanada and I didn't understand what he is said to driver. Traffic cop was just talking to auto-rickshaw driver and showing his favor to him. I was thinking that auto-rickshaw driver does not have any point to proof but still traffic cop is showing him the favor just because he knows the local language.
This thing didn’t stop it here. I noted down his number to complaint later on to police station. Driver stated his auto and told me that he is going to police station but instead of that, he went to “Murgeshpalya Bus Stop” and dropped the other two passengers and then he told me to go to police station. I got his trick that he is going to say that I was the only passenger in auto that’s why he dropped the other two people. I gave him total 25 rupees on meter and told him that I don’t want to go to police station. He again said that he want to go now. Auto-rickshaw driver said either delete my license and badge number else he will not let me go. Other auto-rickshaw people started gathering there. I was little bit scared that these people are going to make some union and starting the fuss out there. I said, I paid you the full amount and want to go now. He said I had to go to police station now. I felt really embarrassed. Auto-Rickshaw driver said “HE IS GONNA BEAT ME IF I AM NOT GOING TO COME WITH HIM”. I had to run away from the place to escape me from the situations.
Now, my question here is what I can do? Keep quiet and make this as “Moral Story” for other auto people or shall I raise my voice and get him punished for it?
His license number is # 14584/01 and badge number is # 14337/01. I am little bit scared to go to police now.
Please let me know what shall I do?
Thanks,
Manoj
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