Next day at 0700 hours I was supposed to leave Dahej for Baroda. I was supposed to begin seminar at 0900 hours. I kept checking at reception desk of the hotel but 'No Show' until 0715. So finally I called on driver's number that the company officer had given me.
Driver said he's reaching in 5-minutes. Finally he arrived at 0730 hours, half an hour late.
"Don't worry" he said, when I told him about no time left for "getting ready" the equipment at seminar venue about 170 kilometres away on the outskirts of Baroda.
He took off adjusting his seat. After some time he began telling stories about how drivers get exploited complaining about owner not paying for food nor parking charges, etc. I told him to keep quiet noticing that he was looking back and forth and sideways while driving.
Now he began showing driving skills. He would approach vehicles in front of him charging on to the accelerator, blowing horn that was so weak that only two of us could hear it. He would then charge into the brakes at the last minute and drift into side-lane. I didn't dare to ask him why he didn't plan beforehand to be himself in the available free lane.
Actually I was lucky that he wasn't driving in the night. I had experienced him driving in the night. He seemed to have poor vision that I am sure he wouldn't have admitted to. I could easily notice that he wasn't able to judge vehicles running ahead of him. Sometimes he would bump into stones on road. Sometimes he would look into his wrist watch with almost 30-degree downward bend.
So en-route Baroda, after some time he took city road instead of highway. The signboard showed left turn "to Baroda" while the driver took right turn. When I asked why, ''Don't worry'' was his reply. I could decode his ''Don't worry'' as he approached a fuel pump. I had no option but to express my displeasure after noticing queue there. I told him next time he should be 'all ready' beforehand for a long haul like the current one.
At the fuel station he argued because he had exhausted account-slip that would allow him to fill tank on credit. Somehow he 'managed'.
Inside Bharuch city he kept boasting of cars moving on road from his company's fleet. At a couple of places he drove parallel to some vehicles to wave off his colleague drivers until I reminded him that we were late.
Then at some places he began driving at 60 kmph in spite of being in city's single lane. And then suddenly he would apply brakes at rough patches.
There are cases of head-on collisions or a vehicle bumping into from behind.
At one place he had almost bumped into a speed breaker until I reminded him. His response was: ''Don't take tension''.
After some time we approached Highway to Baroda but he took a subway below it. When asked, he added to my knowledge that he always fetches some holy water to drink from there.
A Govt owned fertiliser company GNFC is on the banks of Narmada river. Entering a 'No Entry' zone he fetched water from their security office, bought some cigarettes and 'Pan Masala' (Indian derivative of tobacco) to chew. Armoured with it he'd another driving style to show. He kept spitting on highway intermittently opening the door while driving: A skill perhaps only Indian drivers have mastered.
Throughout the highway at every opportunity he would take cuts and overtake from wrong side. Incidentally the taxi didn't have left side mirror making the overtake that much more difficult. Once while overtaking from behind a truck, suddenly a tourist bus appeared from opposite side from nowhere. The bus itself was in wrong direction.
When cautioned him to refrain from such risky practices his reply was "I drive on this road daily". Perhaps he meant he drives "like this" driving his passengers "mad" daily. I wished the highway had rumblers all along. Rumblers do restrict such "madness". Continuously driving at steady speeds brings in monotony that in turn brings in 'defects'.
Just about while he was at 100 speed a truck driver took right turn without indication. Now he had an opportunity to show his strength as "Son-of-soil". He sped and parked car right in front of him. Got down. Abused him. Reached to his collar.
Gaining some strength from this 'win' he finally landed me at the destination more than an hour late. Unbelting myself I promptly jumped out of car with a sigh of relief.
I had no choice but to deeply apologise to the audience for the delay: (since) I had an appointment with a devil and just had a drive little better than Hell !
Also read a few relevant blogposts hereunder:
Prevention: The Best Cure! ... Is it really so?
WOW Work-Culture: By Telling or Selling
Do you exercise your choice meaningfully
I am afraid ! What do I do !!
Treat Root-causes, Not Symptoms !
Taken-For-Granted ? You Deserve It !!
Can-changing-thoughts-change-a-nation
Ridiculous Poison-culture versus Maverick Kaizen-culture
