My experience with a Drop Taxi.
I wanted to go to chennai from coimbatore
Unfortunately i could not get Train ticket nor Bus ticket.
But i have to go, next day morning i should be in chennai.
One of my cousin told me about drop taxi.
Group of people in a network wish to just drop you from one place to another mainly long distances. I never heard this before. I just wanted to try once.
I called a number, the guy is in Madurai. He got all the details he want and asked me to wait for 15 minutes. I was waiting for his call. As it was first time, i was not comfortable in this ride.
Lot of things going through my mind. What if the guy took me somewhere and ask ransom, or what if he just took my wallet and money and through me out at nowhere. A lot.
So in parallel I was still searching for buses trains even flights but my bad luck.
Got a call from the same number.
Hello sir, you will get a car in 30 minutes. Fare is 1500 rupees, all toll by you... he was reading all terms and conditions but i was not in a mood to listen all these.
The car has come. It is Swift Dzire, well maintained interior. Driver may be in his late 30s. Tanned skin, average height and with beard. Luckily not muscular so first look didn’t scare me.
We started from home. I messaged everyone I know about my travel just as a safety, what if I missed somewhere on the way or what if he planned something else.
One hour passed, we both didnt speak a single word.
Sir, can I switch on the radio? Driver asked me.
Why he is asking me... mind started going in different direction
Ya sure... I told
In few minutes the mobile rang... he picked the call.
I was keeping silent till he kept the call. I told not to speak over the phone while driving. I controlled the fear and didnt show it on my voice.
He asked Sorry for the call... I didn’t expect that sorry.
I tried to make it friendly by saying it is just for both of our safety.
Without me asking any further explanation he started telling about the call.
It was my wife sir... I met her a month back. Our life is going through mobile only. She asked if I had taken my dinner. She cooked fish curry there so she remembered me that’s why the call. Usually she wont call, she knows I ll be busy in driving. If I am free I will call her. Sometimes video chat.
I got really surprised hearing that they met each other a month back and he is still driving to different locations.
I asked why they are separate why cannot they stay together.
I have taken a loan. I cannot repay if I don’t drive continuously. And the bank guys will come to my home and ask my wife, sometimes they wont leave the place till they get money. Once my wife went to pawn broker kept the chain and got money, till that time those guys were at home. All our neighbors are doing same drop taxi. Sometimes they help by lending some money, but it is not good to seek help all the time, and they also in this sh**. This is our life.
I was silent, took more time to get into me. Different life which we never thought about. When we hear Taxi or Auto rickshaw, drivers coming to our mind is rude, demanding more money and they charge more. Obviously there are lot of good drivers.
I wanted to go to chennai from coimbatore
Unfortunately i could not get Train ticket nor Bus ticket.
But i have to go, next day morning i should be in chennai.
One of my cousin told me about drop taxi.
Group of people in a network wish to just drop you from one place to another mainly long distances. I never heard this before. I just wanted to try once.
I called a number, the guy is in Madurai. He got all the details he want and asked me to wait for 15 minutes. I was waiting for his call. As it was first time, i was not comfortable in this ride.
Lot of things going through my mind. What if the guy took me somewhere and ask ransom, or what if he just took my wallet and money and through me out at nowhere. A lot.
So in parallel I was still searching for buses trains even flights but my bad luck.
Got a call from the same number.
Hello sir, you will get a car in 30 minutes. Fare is 1500 rupees, all toll by you... he was reading all terms and conditions but i was not in a mood to listen all these.
The car has come. It is Swift Dzire, well maintained interior. Driver may be in his late 30s. Tanned skin, average height and with beard. Luckily not muscular so first look didn’t scare me.
We started from home. I messaged everyone I know about my travel just as a safety, what if I missed somewhere on the way or what if he planned something else.
One hour passed, we both didnt speak a single word.
Sir, can I switch on the radio? Driver asked me.
Why he is asking me... mind started going in different direction
Ya sure... I told
In few minutes the mobile rang... he picked the call.
I was keeping silent till he kept the call. I told not to speak over the phone while driving. I controlled the fear and didnt show it on my voice.
He asked Sorry for the call... I didn’t expect that sorry.
I tried to make it friendly by saying it is just for both of our safety.
Without me asking any further explanation he started telling about the call.
It was my wife sir... I met her a month back. Our life is going through mobile only. She asked if I had taken my dinner. She cooked fish curry there so she remembered me that’s why the call. Usually she wont call, she knows I ll be busy in driving. If I am free I will call her. Sometimes video chat.
I got really surprised hearing that they met each other a month back and he is still driving to different locations.
I asked why they are separate why cannot they stay together.
I have taken a loan. I cannot repay if I don’t drive continuously. And the bank guys will come to my home and ask my wife, sometimes they wont leave the place till they get money. Once my wife went to pawn broker kept the chain and got money, till that time those guys were at home. All our neighbors are doing same drop taxi. Sometimes they help by lending some money, but it is not good to seek help all the time, and they also in this sh**. This is our life.
I was silent, took more time to get into me. Different life which we never thought about. When we hear Taxi or Auto rickshaw, drivers coming to our mind is rude, demanding more money and they charge more. Obviously there are lot of good drivers.
Now I am taking you from Coimbatore to Chennai. When I got this enquiry, I became happy and accepted without asking the Money. By the way, how much they told you about the cost? he asked.
I told the money that I agreed with on the call.
He did not show happiness with the money I told.
I told the money that I agreed with on the call.
He did not show happiness with the money I told.
I really hope I can see my wife this time. But it all depends on the luck and timing.
With a small pause, he started telling an incidence.
Sometime back I dropped a passenger at Chennai, I had a chance to go to my home. The moment I entered my street I got a call for a drop to Madurai. And the customer was ready to pay 1750, usually chennai to madurai is 1500, that too after long negotiations. So I left without seeing my home which was hardly few Kilometers away.
My wife made fish curry that day also... what to do this is our life. Nobody knows about our life. My relatives thought I am making lot of money that is why I am not coming home often. Even few are thinking I have a second wife. Only my family knows the struggle I am going through. I had no clue about drop taxi and the drivers life so this was completely shocked and is completely different world.
I offered him 20% more than the agreed fare but he refused to accept. They have set of rules. Once fare is fixed then Driver cannot demand more or cannot accept more. Their own ethics and Rules.
But I decided to support them by using Drop Taxi whenever I can.
Different People, Different World.
