In sync and savvy - today's autowala

A lot of big and small changes have been taking place in this city. Not so long ago, our auto-walah was just another guy. Sometimes a lout. Sometimes a careworn, prematurely aged chap. And most often, just a very convenient medium with a rickety means of transport.

Things haven't changed much. Or may be they have. At least they have a new 'avatar' now with their mobile phones. Just six years back they didn't. Now they do. Thanks to Reliance and Tata Indicom, even the lowest common denominator that walks on sidewalks, roads, potholes, or drives on them has a mobile phone.

Anyway, I decided to get down to it and see what our auto-bhaais were up to. I walked quite a distance from our house one afternoon and came across this lone autorickshaw driver, lolling in his auto, reading 'Vijay Karnataka' with a lazy look on his face. I asked him if I could speak with him. He agreed - though he looked at me very suspiciously. Now why would someone want to talk to him, if that someone didn't want to hire his auto? Then he asked if I was from Koorigaloo (similar to MTV-Bakra / Candid Camera - but hey was that a compliment? Did I look like a TV anchor?) Not too sure if my negative response made him less sceptical. Anyhow, I decided to go ahead and chat him up. This is how it went...

Rags had a Nokia 2100 and an Airtel connection for the past one and a half years. His typical day began at 6 am, when he would have his breakfast and head out with his auto to the auto stand near his home (somewhere near Basavangudi). "I am there by 9:oo am and am really busy, taking my customers from here to there. But there is a lull from 1 pm to 3:30 pm when no one comes by. I use that time to talk to my friends in the auto stand; or go home and spend time with my family. I even take that time off to go see a movie with my family and friends. I am back by 4 pm once again and am busy all the way till 10 pm. I reach home by 11 every night."

Strangely enough he doesn't make calls from his mobile phone. He uses the pay phone instead to call home regularly during the day. (Wonder how his folks back home would reach him, I thought).

Rags was also not too keen on sharing his mobile phone with all and sundry. He said that he lent his phone to friends only in case of emergency. He didn't like to carry it at other times and in fact left it back home. It seems his friends kept taking it from him to play games on it. (Hmm... a phone he has, but share he wouldn't. Strange!)

But the phone was useful to him in some ways. For e.g. he sent SMSs through it. (Wow! He isn't familiar with English and he sends messages?!). It seems he sends messages using some English words that he knows - especially on birthdays and the new year. That apart, he and his friends also share ring tones with each other. (Cool!)

In fact, Rags had even deviced new ways to manage and store numbers in his mobile phone, the pocket-sized diary notwithstanding. Seems that if got a missed call, or if someone gave him his number, Rags quickly typed it in to his phone. He didn't write the entire name then and there, 'coz it needed some concentration (remember, English is not his forte). So he wrote just the initials and would write it clearly later in the evening, after work.

Interestingly, technological advancements had not changed the manner in which his social networking system, worked. The traditional method of word-of-mouth was still followed. "We don’t need the mobile phone really to just pass on emergency messages," he said. The reason was that he had a "a good circle of friends." He explained that they passed on messages to each other and made sure that it reaches the right person for whom the message is intended, within the hour.

However, the phone was useful to him in other ways. He could develop a regular customer base. If some regular customer wanted to hire his auto, they'd call him on his mobile and engage his services for the day. Pretty cool huh? He gets assured pay and they don't have to go around town looking for an auto.

All in all quite an interesting guy our man Rags. Am pretty sure many other auto walas in town are just as smart and tech savvy in their own little way. One just needs to step out of home and talk to people. People, who don't belong to our so-called social and economic position. People, who are normally considered trouble-makers and dishonest. It'd be worthwhile to see what new things we can learn from their ilk. Isn't it?