Petrol Rate Hike and our good old Autos

• Recently I had to take an auto from Adyar to Triplicane, which is just 4 kms. FOr this distance, the auto driver asked me Rs 100. WHen I questioned him the logic, he explained the petrol rates have increased. And that was an Auto running on LPG
• From Tiruvanmiyur to Triplicane, I was recently asked to pay Rs 80 by another auto driver. He explained petrol rates have increased. I doled the following economy to him,

Currently the rate per KM is Rs 3.50 - as fixed by GovernMENTAL people. Petrol rates have increased around Rs5 per litre. Assuming, an auto (full ottai auto) runs 10KM on a litre petrol, the actual rate hike per KM is just 50 paise. So, the minimum rate is Rs 4.00 per km. Add another rupee for the cost of inflation. So, let us say the minimum rate is Rs 5 per km. From Tiruvanmiyur to Triplicane, it is around 5KMs. So, the actual meter rate should be Rs 25. I was generous enough to add another Rs 15, and pay Rs 40. Auto driver claimed "it is not affordable" (kattu padi aagathunga).

I added a further explanation that a share auto that plies between Tiruvanmiyur and Parrys with just 5 passengers, charges Rs 10 per head; For him, it is affordable at Rs 50 up to Parrys Corner, so why not Triplicane at Rs 40? And a call taxi can drop me at Triplicane for Rs 80, so why not an Auto?

and he said "Moonjai paaru, nalla dress pottukittu irukaan, kandathukku selavu pannuvaan...seriyaana saavugirakki"

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Seriously speaking, the premium rate charged by Autodrivers, why should the Government even consider revising the minimum rates.? Does it matter at all?

Writer Rajeshkumar does a Kaavya Viswanathan

Recently, I was reading a short story written by famous Tamil Crime Writer Rajeshkumar in the magazine Kungumam. If I recall correctly, this edition was dated August 11 (or was it July 11).

The story is about a couple visiting a relative in Mumbai, who is a big kanjan, and his wife is pretty miserly too. The miserliness is to the point of putting the guests to inconveience. The guest couple go to complain to the hosts, and overhear the hosts talking that they save on every small expense, mainly to send money for helping their poor relatives back home, and that they are not bothered about guests thinking badly ofthem. And the story ends there...

Nice little story, typical of magazines like Kumudam, Kungumam and, very typical of Rajeshkumar to write such simple short stories...

And so ould we think.

This particular story was written and published by Sathyarajkumar under the title Indian in his blog. The only things that have changed are locations, names...

I know Rajeshkumar used to get influenced by several English novels to write his own Crime novels, but never did I think, he would get so "influenced" to do a Kaavya Viswanathan or a Gautaman Bhasakaran.

Enna Rajeshkumar Sir, vera bashai kathai koodava kidaikkalai? Nalla "google" pannunga sir.