Of Share Autos & Commitments

Have you tried taking a share auto on your way to work in the morning? In the mad rush, when the entire population is in motion, each one travelling from his/her end of the city to the other, share autos are among the coolest - untouched by the frantic pace at which the rest of the world is rushing by.

Although they are a fairly slow mode of transport, a lot of middle class people choose the share auto for regular travel. When compared to the public buses, these are convenient because they are less crowded - at least one can be assured of some butt space, if not a comfortable seat. They are also more frequent than buses and also more flexible - allowing passengers to hop on and off anywhere along the fixed route.

If you ask me, the share auto is for people who start early - especially in the mornings. From experience, share autos are not for me in the mornings! I don't mind share autos in the evenings, or when I am going somewhere in no hurry. Why? Not only because they are slow, but also they cannot be trusted to be committed for long distances. Let me present to you two scenarios, both of which have happened to me more than once!

SCENARIO 1: I read the name of my destination on the placard at the front of a fairly empty share auto, and hop on excited to enjoy a roomy ride. After a certain distance, the share auto just comes to a stop. I wonder what happened, and the driver explains to me he is just waiting for a few more passengers. I take out my phone and chill on Facebook for a while. After about ten minutes, I look up, realising that we are STILL waiting for more passengers! I start to panic because I have a long way to go, and not enough time. There are only two things to do beyond this point - wait patiently for the share auto to move again and be late, or get off and look for another vehicle and be late anyway!

SCENARIO 2: It starts out the same way as in Scenario 1. I hop in seeing the placard holding the name of my destination. I enjoy the ride until the driver stops somewhere on the way, finding that a few people on the way enquired to go elsewhere, conveniently changes the placard, takes them in and asks me to get off. Big surprise - I'm late again!

One of those Scenario 2 days, waiting by the side of the road for another vehicle to take me to work, I thought of how share autos remind me of relationships - the wrong kind! The kind of relationships where two parties start the journey together, mutually agreeing to travel together. But, somewhere along the way, one of them decides to abandon the other one on the road - without a smidgen of guilt or regret. I have seen many such relationships; relationships based on convenience, personal gain, attraction.

If you are getting into a relationship - romantic or otherwise, take a moment to analyse if you or the other person involved is in it for any of these reasons. When you get into a relationship because it is convenient, know that it also becomes convenient to leave. If you are in it for personal gain, know that something more profitable will come along. If you are in it because you are attracted by superficial things, someone more attractive will always come along. Then what?

A genuine relationship is one based on commitment - one that is made at the very beginning of the journey, and must not end until the end of the road.