It has been a hard day at work and you come out of the office to find a cluster of autos standing around the corner.

The gods of garden city

It has been a hard day at work and you come out of the office to find a cluster of autos standing around the corner.

All that you need now is your bed and climbing into an auto is the fastest way to get to it. But wait, it is not that simple.

The auto driver asks for the destination and you painstakingly explain it to him. He listens to you patiently and then nods his head in refusal.

Bewildered, you approach the next guy, who smiles and invites you to sit inside the auto. You get in and heave a sigh of relief only to find him charging you double the metre rate.

On asking the reason, pat comes the reply, "What to do I won't get any passenger from there after dropping you?"

No amount of requesting and cajoling helps. You decide enough is enough and threaten tou00a0 call the police.
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The driver shrugs his shoulders and says, "Go to the commissioner's office nothing will happen." The confidence in their voices makes you wonder whether the office is there to control anarchy or foster it.

And by chance if you agree to go to the police commissioner's office, you see the man clenching his teeth and cursing you for coming from outside the state, spoiling the culture and not knowing the language.

Since August 1, new auto fares have been introduced in the city with the minimum being Rs 17 and an extra Rs 9 for every additional kilometer.

The city has witnessed numerous arguments between the passengers and the drivers over the past one week over this.

But what is the anxiety all about? Is it because now we have to pay more or does it mean that those guys, who already rob us, will become more defiant?

The auto menace in Bangalore is not dependent on the fares.
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It solely rests upon the discretion of the autowallah, who acts as the God and refuses to budge an inch even if you agree to gift him the Kohinoor diamond.

So even if you pay peanuts, riding an auto in Bangalore will always be a menace till there is a measure adopted to check the conduct of the drivers.

Priyanjali Ghose is senior correspondent-cum-sub-editor, MiD DAY

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