The institution I am studying in right now is actually located on the Ambattur Red Hills highway. And there have been many instances during the past 4 years wherein I have been forced to hitchhike my way to K K Nagar which incidentally is where I stay.
Admittedly the days where I have got OSI LIFT (as my classmates would suggest instinctively) have been far more enjoyable than going by the college bus. Let us consider a situation where I have finished my practicals and as usual with no money in my pocket wanting to go home.
1)Come outside the college gate and then look to the left(no these are not traffic rules).
2)There will be this old beaten up truck which would be chugging along merrily on its path with some arbit song on Radio Mirchi “Machan peru Madurey!!”.
3)Now a normal fellow looking for a lift would just stretch his hand out one thumb to his right and look at the truck driver who would appear like a reincarnation of Merv Hughes with his big moustache. When you do this to a bus at full tilt obviously our driver and his comrade-in-arms the cleaner would give you a cold stare and fly past you.
4)This is where as old souls would say “experience counts”. What I used to do was go and stand near this speed breaker which was only 5 paces from the college gate. Then giving the cleaner a thumb finger salute and a sorry face I would just watch him with a forlorn look. Most of the drivers you see might be rough and tough on the outside but actually they have a gentle interior and voila! in a minute I am in the truck.
5)The cleaner will go out of his way in accomodating you into their tiny little space. There might be a few people who might be engulfed by claustrophobia but a free trip + super songs to go man the journey albeit a short one rocks.
6)Actually there was this one time when I got home and told my amma that I had taken lift from this truckman, she told that some day they are going to rip my kidneys off and drop me off at some remote village in Andhra Pradesh.
7)Next we are off to the Puzhal camp no this is not Auschwitz(a Nazi concentration camp during WW2). The simple way would be to board 114 or C70 which would ensure that you get to Ashok Pillar . But see the problem here is i am penniless. One thing i can look for is Vadivel(my classmate) who ll give me 20 Rs and I actually would have money left to eat at Ranjani boli stall and have a refreshing Paneer Soda.
8)Chronicles of Ramesh: the truck,the bike and the share auto will be continued in the posts to follow.
PS: An intelligent person would think what role a share auto will play if I have no money. For further information revisit my blog soon.
from zero to infinity 