With due respect….Dues paid

Having to commute regularly by autorikshaw to and from office, I have come to learn to understand the necessary evils of life more closely.

The general (read public) mixed opinion regarding this form of transportation is mostly because of the tantrums invariably thrown by both parties involved. Heres one incident that made me change my “general” opinion of the autowallahs.

Usual morning to office; I look for an autorikshaw along the line of the few always standing at the flyover junction. Trying to guage from the faces of the auto rikshaw driver if they would want to drive the same direction of my office, I prepare myself for the war of words and arguments of petrol prices and traffic jams ahead.

Starting the ride to office, I noticed after a couple of kilometers that the fare meter was not jumping way beyond comprehension. On reaching the office, I handed the amount to the not so nearest change. Usually I try to hand out the correct change to avoid myself having to explain the importance of hard earned money to the remarks about “its only 2 rupees or its only more by 5 rupees”. However, this time the driver didn’t give me such a reply; When he saw he didn’t find the right amount to return, he told me that he would hand it over the next time. Adding that he is at the auto stand where I daily hail for an auto.

I knew this was not to be, though I resisted telling him that I knew the change wouldn’t get back to me.

Cut to a few weeks later where on my normal day to work, alighting from the auto near office, I handed the almost right change to the auto driver. When he handed me the change, which was more that what was to be returned, he reminded me that this was the change due from the last time I had hailed his vehicle.

This time, the "thank you" that I said was more sincere.

It's quite unfair to generalize. And from then on I make an effort to be more tolerant ,against my own general opinion, knowing that what goes around comes around