In a city where haggling with auto drivers is the norm in one’s daily life, the recent experience of one Bengaluru resident was a pleasant surprise.
Going to Reddit, the man posted a picture of the auto meter that read a fare of Rs. 166 for an 11-kilometre ride. Accompanying the picture, he wrote, “Good auto drivers still exist in Bengaluru!”, which found instant resonance with many in the city.
The post soon attracted attention, and a deluge of responses from other users who were surprised and delighted to see such candour.
Came from palace grounds to my house (11.2 kms) for just 170₹
byu/GuytheGuyGuyy inBengaluru
How did Reddit users react
A user wrote, “Hope you thanked the auto anna. He deserves to be hailed!” The poster responded warmly, “Yes yes, that too in this heat, he didn’t charge extra. Was soo happy.”
The reactions were both of awe and amusement. “What? Seriously? On meter? This is something new and interesting,” a user reacted. Another described the driver as a “Dev manush” (divine person) recounting their own experience: “I was charged Rs. 900 from Silk Board to Bellandur (10 kms). and some free abuses with the bill too.”
The post also evoked some nostalgia in other users. “I used to remember in the ’90s, during schooldays, going for a ride with parents in an auto, a 10-km trip would cost about Rs. 50,” someone else posted. “Bless the auto dude! The only person in Bangalore to use a meter, perhaps?” another person noted, and with a sarcastic comment came “When was it? 2005?
In a city that has long been blamed for the irregular auto fares, this short but heartwarming tale was a reminder that there are still fair rides and truthful drivers around.
