Chauffeur, taxi lao!

City has a subculture of people who would not buy a car even if they can afford to. Many of them even have personal cabbies. The car rebels speak up.

I don't think I'll buy a car

My philosophy is that there are already so many cars on the road that I might as well hop into a cab and go chauffeur-driven. I have even found a couple of regular cabbies near my mom's place to ferry me. In fact, they go out of their way to help me.

I travel four times a week from Mazgoan to Marol. The moment I get down my building, I find a familiar cabbie and hop in. I'm quite careless so I'm constantly forgetting my wallet or phone, but the cabbie has no issue and just collects the fare from my dad. If I happen to travel by some other cab and he tries to dupe me, these cabbies take care of it. In a way, they are pretty protective about me.

I don't think I'll ever buy a car. If I buy do, I'll carpool. But then people have different timings in Mumbai.

Tips: 

• I know the rate card by heart. If your meter shows 3.60, it is Rs50. If it shows 7.10, it is Rs100. Any deviation from that proves that the rate card is fake.
• Always note the number of the cab, so that if you forget anything there is a way to trace it.
• It would be nice to chat with the cabbie. After all, you are the only people they meet all day. — Keisha Lobo. RJ, AIR and theatre personality

My affair with Munna began two years ago

I drive, but it’s not my favourite thing. Although I travel to work at an early hour when the roads are empty, parking is a problem. My affair with my cabbie ‘Munna’ began with me walking to the taxi stand everyday. There are only a few cabs around at that time. So, one day Munna suggested that instead of walking up to the stand, he might as well come and pick me up from my place.

It has been two years now and Munna has never been late. In fact, his waiting at my gate ensures that I'm on time. Munna is pretty efficient, if he takes an off, he provides a replacement. He takes me from Bandra to Tardeo at a fixed rate everyday. We discuss everything from politics to flyovers. If someone cuts our lane, we yell at him together.

Tip: 

• When you get into a cab, check the roof. If you are tall, you might have to slouch, if the cabbie has got experimental and padded it. If he has decided to be more adventurous, then you might find a chandelier or mirror on top of your head, which tends to disturb your mental makeup. — Ashish Jagtiani. RJ, Radio One, 92.5 FM

Can’t just hop off my car when late

Every time I am asked why I have not purchased a car, I prefer to smile and say that I do not see the need to add one more moving box of steel to the already chaotic
traffic scenario.

As as I see it, purchasing a car is not about being able to commute easier or faster but more about status. If you don't have a car people seem to look down on you. I have many friends and business associates who have purchased a vehicle owing to this compulsion.

Where I stand today, I don't need metal and glass to boost my image.

Think owning a vehicle and I think of liability. Frankly, I don't have the temperament to sit behind a wheel and stare at the unmoving sea of vehicles. For this I would have to hire a driver. Now I don't know if he is worth the around Rs15,000 I am paying and if not more heartburns.

On a holiday, when I would be at the wheel, I won't be able to enjoy and participate in joke sessions and silly blabber of my family. If I am getting late and the traffic is not conducive to my keeping the appointment, I can't just jump out of my car and opt for a faster mode of transport. Let alone leaving the car in the middle of the road, I won't be even able to find parking for at least half an hour.

Why then, care tell me, should I waste my money on purchasing a vehicle and not resort to hailing a taxi or getting into the first class compartment of a train to reach where I want to. — Dilip K Rita. Owns a chain of printing shops

My car does not serve my purpose

I own a car but rarely take it out. I bought a car for tax and depreciation reasons, but that does not compel me to drive it daily.

For me, my car is not a status symbol but a means to commute long distances. It makes no sense to take a car from Borivali to Goregaon or beyond when you can travel the same distance faster by train. While I take less than 20 minutes to reach my Goregaon site office by rail, it takes almost an hour to travel the same distance via road.

The road and rail transport systems in this city are pretty efficient and I don't see any reason why I should not bank on them for my travelling. I do drive when I have to go out of Mumbai or on a holiday but rarely within Mumbai.

Maybe one day, when the road traffic is tame enough not to bring me to my nerves’ edge, I will start using the car regularly.— Yashwant Gujaran. A consulting civil engineer