'Taxi'ing Times

No Kissing Allowed

2010-06-11T23:40:00.000-07:00

So well... Bombay is a city which as we all know isn't the most spacious ones around. The lack of space is pretty evident when you driving back late in the night and see almost every footpath is home to few families, sleeping well under the night skies.

So when a love struck couple gets in a cab especially in the evenings, most often than not they tend to cuddle up and sit close to each other in the back seat while the cabbie minds his busines.. driving to where ever he has been asked to go.

The problem is when a lot of times the cuddling couple gets into the heat of the moment and starts making smooching and some other sounds!!! If you are thinking its just plain kissing that goes on you are in for a shock. The cuddling to kissing to petting and feeling up and I could go on here... quite often gets a little too far!! So much so that cars passing by the cab can't help but give those shocked-raised-eyebrow-cum-pitying-look to the cabbie.

Its one of those few times when my heart goes out to the cabbie!! I mean if I were the cabbie I would hate some one sitting in my car and making out like no one's business!!

Well... I think they get used to it. Or they too realize that the couple don't really have an access to a room. But some of them do not... and they make sure they avoid the scene by putting it up in writing at the back:

"No kissing allowed!"

Watery issues...

2010-06-07T11:50:00.000-07:00

Read in TOI today that this Journo took a cab which was full of water.

She told the cabbie that his cab was leaking. He turned around and said that its her bottle that's leaking.

The Journo rolled her eyes, made a face and told the cabbie that she is not even carrying any bottle.. let alone a leaking bottle.

At this, the cabbie stopped the car, got out and asked the journo to step out as well and started snatching her bag from her. He took her bag and examined it much to the Journo's anger and amazement.

When he did not find anything in her bag, he returned it back to her and without any remorse or embarrassment or apologies what-so-ever, said, "aing?! toh yeh paani aaya kahaan se?!"

Saturday Night... Full Tight

2010-06-06T08:06:00.000-07:00

Took this cab last night... a santro... was very pleased with the nice clean interiors.

It was one of those days when good things come to you one after the other. So the cab started and so did some real good peppy latest Bollywood dance music!! Have I told you I love cabs with a working music system?? Even though they have strange sometimes really cheap music on their playlists. I quite enjoy a musical ride in the cabs. So ya.. this guy had music system which was playing good music!!

What more... he even had some english hits in his playlist! Shake that thing, get busy and some more of those songs!! haha..

And like there was no end to my surprises, after reaching home I paid him the fare and he said, 'Thanks. Have a good day!'

I almost fell! :)

Red Listed by Cabbie

2010-06-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

Btw... it's not like only i hate the cabbies. Few of them hate me right back!! :D

Under my building there are these few cabbies who are always there in the mornings. One particular cabbie hates me so much that he has red-listed me. He refuses to take me anywhere!! It's because twice earlier i was in his cab in the morning and we had a huge fights.

He is one of those drivers that stop before the signal turns red and by the time they restart the car to move in a green circle.. the signal again goes red!! I swear I am not exaggerating...

Anyway... not that I care. Just that i keep forgetting his face and on certain days when i see him, I get confused and ask him if he would go to xyz place and only when he refuses, do i realise its the angry old cabbie.. hehe... :D

Generous Cabbie

2010-06-03T07:06:00.000-07:00

On my way to work today I had a very generous cabbie. This type I experienced for the first time.

At every signal that we stopped at, the street urchins and beggers came begging. They were all coming to the window where I was sitting. I don't encourage begging so I never pay them.

But to my surprise, not once but thrice it happened! 3 times at 3 different signals that cab stopped and beggers came and our man... the cabbie... dug out money and gave it! That too when the beggers were not even asking him for the money... they were asking me!!

I had even planned the whole argument i would have with him if at the end of the journey he added the amount he gave away to the fare saying I paid on your behalf!

But thankfully, there was no such argument or fight. It was a generous cabby who was being nice to the beggars. Wierdo!!

Kaali Peeli..

2010-06-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

Interesting article on our very own bombay butterflies...

http://www.cnngo.com/mumbai/play/catch-mumbai-cab-its-gone-059788

Chicken Soup for the Drivers...

2010-06-02T09:14:00.003-07:00

The other day I was on my way to work in a Meru Cab.

Meru Cabs are private AC taxis that you can call and book. In one of my previous posts I had spoken about my love for Merus because they are clean, they are in good shapes, they are air conditioned, only marginally expensive and most importantly they have drivers that undergo a serious workshop training course on customer service. So needless to say, its a much much better alternative to regular cabs. But unfortunately, they are mostly all booked and you have to wait for a long time before you can book one on the phone.

Anyway, so we were on this nice wide straight road. The driver was speeding and I wanted to tell him to slow down. I was in the middle of this mental battle to say or not to say when suddenly, this woman's voice from nowhere echoed inside the car - 'Slow down. You are crossing the speed limit.'

Immediately the driver slowed down and I was so amused!!! So I don't know what device this is that issues a speed warning... but whatever it is..

I think its wise to have this device!!

(In case you dint notice, that was intentional rhyming!!)

Infact I want to install it in our car cos I think it would be a great way to keep a check on my brother, who anyway looks and drives like these Bombay cabbies! So every time he would speed, this voice would tell him to slow down, and as an additional customized thing, I would have them attach a hand to the device too. So the slow down warning comes with a tight slap on the face!!!

hahaha..... I am in love with my idea and cant help but feel very pleased with myself.

If I have it my way, I would make it compulsory to put it on all the cars for general public safety!! ya ya... go ahead... call me chicken but i dont care!! In fact I love chicken and I dont mind eating it everyday!!!

Popular Drivers

2010-06-01T11:32:00.000-07:00

Popular Drivers are scary drivers!!

You sit in their cabs. They start driving. Suddenly some strange ringtone rings. He tilts his body to left / ride side while controlling the steering wheel with one hand. With the other hand he starts digging out his cell phone located somewhere deep inside his bum pocket. Then the following conversation takes place:

"Haan... Ji ji... main buss aadhe ghante mein pahunchta hoon. Woh ek savari mila hai... unko drop karke aata hoon. Ji... Ji... Haan Ji... bees minute.. "

Then he hangs up and starts driving as if he is the next Schumi driving his beloved ferrari on his favorite track Monaco! He will cut lanes, zip past the signals and make you reach Colaba from Bandra in 20 minutes straight.. driving at god knows what speed.. I try to see but seldom make out because their speedometers are mostly not working / broken. (Times like these make me miss Honda Civic..)

Background:

So basically what happens is that some of these annoying cabbies enter into a monthly deal with people who travel a particular route daily via cabs. The cabbies become more or less their dedicated drivers and drive them around to work and back and whereever else in between (if required).

Needless to say, when duty calls, they drop everything (literally) and rush back to the pick up address.

I hate popular drivers.

Chatty Drivers

2010-05-31T08:50:00.000-07:00

So there is this one category of cab drivers - the Chatty Drivers.

These guys come across as the most friendly and helpful sorts. They will happily take you where you want to go. They will suggest shorter routes and generally smile a lot.

How to spot a Chatty Driver:

He will agree to go where you ask him to but not before he tells you, "Chalo baith jao... Main customer ko kabhi na nahi kehta hoon" ("ok sit, I never refuse a customer)
5 minutes into the drive, he will discuss the weather / the potholes / traffic in the city
Will nod his head disapprovingly at the traffic, at other cabbies, at the pot holes and will seem to talk to himself
Some more points that I can think of, but then I dont think they are common across the category.

Anyway, so the thing about the chatty drivers - The more they chat - the higher chances of them cheating you!

80% of the times these cabbies will give you a bloated figure of the cab fare on reaching the destination. Because he thinks he has already floored you with his sweet talk and that you feel that he is a nice guy.

I hope you meet a chatty driver soon and come back to tell me that I was right. And if I wasn't, well I did say 80% of the times... right?!

The One Good Thing

2010-05-30T11:58:00.000-07:00

Btw... The one good thing about most cabbies in Bombay, you dont have to worry if you are a single girl travelling post midnight in one of these... You can tell your destination and go off to sleep. They are mostly nice and at most may try and cheat you off a few additional bucks.. But yes, the Mumbai cabbies are much much better than their counterparts in other parts of the country.

And no matter how much I crib about them, I can't do without them.

Beginners Guide...

2010-05-30T05:06:00.000-07:00

As a beginners guide, let me give you a basic background on the cabs and cabbies:

The Worst kind:

Fiats
Fiats with cloth seat covers
Fiats with cloth seat covers which have turned yellowish / brown over a period of time.
Fiats with those ugly covers and a very dirty, unshaven, unkempt driver, chewing paan / tobacco and the cab smelling of his sweat!!! *Puke*
Cabs with mirrors on the cieling, a silver colour shiney pole in the center, and blue / red / green lights inside!! (I dont know why the pole is there but I totally enjoy the cab rides in these types because they mostly have a music system with some very cheesy item numbers playing... plus the mirrors on top make for some nice time pass)
These cabs, the ones I just mentioned, with shiney interiors and mirrors etc, though they look very nice and all that, I am quite sure they are used for all wrong things (read drivers making out in the cars with Prosts... ). So needless to say I avoid them as much as possible... but prefer them over the regular fiats.

The not so bad kind:

New age cabs - santros / zens etc. Though these are also getting somewhat disappointing with the drivers putting ugly cloth seat covers on the nice leather seats! Why? why?? why???
some well kept fiats with leather seats.

The Good ones:

The new cabs with leather seats
Meru Cabs - Private AC Cabs (green in colour). You have to call and book them but they are almost always unavailable because clearly, like me, the entire Bombay city is fighting for those few 1000 merus for a comfortable ride to work. (I can go on and on about the pros & cons of Meru cabs... but some other day maybe. for now, they are definitely listed under the good ones)
New cabs (the santros & zens) with leather seats, nicely done interiors, a music system, and a good clean driver (its definitely your lucky day if you find one of these)

Seasonal Woes:

Monsoons are just around the corner and if you think I am finicky about the cabs right now, monsoons will make me wanna kill all the drivers and crib and crib and crib some more!!
With 75% cabbies having cloth seat covers (i HATE those covers), they get wet in the rains and cloth being cloth doesnt dry soon. Then you, looking pretty and pleased with yourself, take one of these cabs and before you realise, you have a wet BUM!!!! I swear I have to stop myself from reaching out to the drivers head and banging it real hard again and again on the steering wheel!!!
Thinking of that right now is giving me goose bumps!!!

So anyway... now you have an idea about my pet peeves... My following posts will be more about the experiences.

'Taxi'ing Times

2010-05-30T00:44:00.000-07:00

I live in Bombay and travel around the city in the Black & Yellow fiats they call taxis. Thankfully, due to some govt regulation, we now have santros, Zens, Indicas on road sporting the colour too... so ya.. lately there has been some minimal improvement in the cab scene in Bombay.

But the blog is mostly about the not so good things about these cabs... its about my fights and arguments with the cabbies (the drivers), strange experiences, shocks, surprises, poor service, predictable behavior, and much more.