How I Met a Bad Traveler on My Road Trip to Chennai

Meeting people online is nothing new these days. Although I don’t prefer making romantic relationships online, I still end up having a crush on someone or the other whom I meet through different forums. I have been a member of Chennai travelers’ groups since three years, and have met a few amazing people through the road trips that this group organizes. However, my last experience with meeting a guy last month turned out to be horrible.

I was on my road trip with a group in a bus to Mahabalipuram. I found myself attracted to a guy named Shreyas, who worked as a civil engineer in Bangalore. Although I did not initiate any conversation with him, I wanted to listen to him as he talked with his friends. I knew that it was quite objectionable according to the Indian standards to act romantic with a stranger, so we decided that we will meet in Chennai once the road trip was over. Did I forget to mention that he looked very handsome?

We met at a fancy fine dining restaurant, and I showed up wearing my best outfit. While we waited to take our reserved seat, we had a pleasant conversation. When the waitress asked us about the order, he ordered a cocktail for me and a glass of scotch for himself. I told him that I don’t take alcohol, but he dodged my opinion saying that it is a mild ladies’ drink. Even though I did not like what he did, I still preferred to ignore it thinking that it might ruin the meeting. Probably that is why; he assumed that I would not mind anything he ordered.

While we were scanning the menu to order the main course, he ordered mutton kebab for me as I was going through the non-veg section. I told him that I don’t like mutton, but he again gave his logic that there is no difference between chicken and mutton as both are meats. So he decided that he would order one mutton kebab and mutton biryani for us. He argued that it is no use being so picky about meat unless someone is vegetarian.

When the waitress showed up, he snatched the menu card from my hand and placed the order as he wished. I looked at her and asked, “I had seen a sign board of Self-Drive Cars in Chennai, can you book one for me?”

He was perplexed as I said that and asked me, “Why do you want to book a Car Rental right now?”

I could not resist being blunt and said, “I don’t like your company and the way you are imposing your opinions on me. You are no one to decide what I should eat or drink. Thank you for your company, but we are not meeting again.”

I picked up my bag and left the place without bothering to look at him again. Thank God I did not hear from him again.

How My Trip to Chennai Turned Out Awful

There was just one mistake that I had made, but I had to pay a huge price for it when I was traveling to Chennai last month. I had made the mistake of choosing a wrong travel buddy, and she ruined my entire vacation in the new city. I had been waiting to go to Chennai since a long time, and when I could finally do it, I brought the misery on myself.

The incompatibility

I don’t know why but it never crossed my mind to check my like-mindedness with my friend, Shreya, on grounds beyond having a lunch together. We had met for a few hours many times before that vacation. Even though I felt that she was a little reserved, I did not mind going on a vacation with her. Now I realize that I should have spent at least a night with her at her place or mine to understand her habits. When were on our way to Chennai in train, I realized that she was an extremely lazy person who would never lift a finger to do her chores if she had someone to do them for her. I had to fetch water for her because she would convince me that she could not or did not want to go and buy it. I ended up being her mother on train who would take care of everything.

The budget issues

I prefer to save money wherever I can, yet I want to have a few luxuries at some times when I require them. I wanted to visit quite a few temples in Chennai, but using public transport for traveling is a pain in the city. Therefore, I offered to hire Self-Drive Cars in Chennai, but she blatantly refused to pitch in for it because it was an expensive option. Car hire would indeed put a little pressure on our pockets, but considering the amount we spent on auto-rickshaws and trains, it would have been only a little higher than that amount. It was not at all worth the inconvenience we had to face just to save a little money. We had realized that the private cabs and auto-rickshaws are way too expensive for the travelers in the city, but Shreya refused to budge from her opinion. At the end of every day, we would have sore feet! Was it all worth it? Not at all.

Even though I had a worse trip, I took my lessons that I need to choose my travel companions wisely. I need to spend much more time with them than I did with Shreya so that we all can understand each other better. There has to be a basic level of willingness to adjust with each other so that no one in the group feels offended. Regarding money, I need to know more about the inclination of people to pool in. In short, I will be careful for my future vacations so that I don’t end up ruining my precious time and money.

How I Won Over an Auto-Rickshaw Driver in Chennai

When you are in Chennai, you have to be  prepared for a difficult time while commuting. So here I was in the city during summers for a few months. While dealing with the tough office life for an outsider, I had to cook for myself. I found it especially painful when I had to make every effort to live a decent life, especially when I was alone. I live in Mumbai with a roommate, and I do not have any complaint doing the household chores, just because I have the company of a friend.

Anyway, I had to drop a friend at the Chennai Central as he had a train to catch. The train was supposed to arrive late at night. By the time I got free, it was already 11 pm. I knew what I had to face when I went out. I would have to catch an auto-rickshaw to drop me home, and they would charge me an exorbitant amount. The auto-rickshaw drivers in Chennai are known for their notorious behavior with the locals, as well as, tourists.

Just what I had thought; there was a chain of vacant auto-rickshaws outside the gate of the railway station. They all looked at me as their potential prey, and I knew what was going to happen in the next few minutes. I had only 8% battery remaining in my phone, which was going to nosedive sooner than expected, thanks to Apple iPhone. Still, I went ahead and reached an auto driver.

Me: Anna, Navy Nagar. How much? [Brother, take me to Navy Nagar. How much?]

Driver: 300 Rs. Bhaiya [300 INR brother]

Me: Anna, 300 is too much. It is only 4 kilometers from here.

Driver: No. It is not close, it is far. First time in Chennai?

Me: I live here. I just came here to drop someone. Can you see any bags with me?

Driver: Okay. 200 last.

Me: I booked an Uber for 60 Rs. only while coming here.

Driver: I did not see any Uber here. 

(His confidence was remarkable)

I was getting too frustrated by then. I took out my mobile and tried to book a cab again. It was because of such drivers in the city that I always preferred to use Self-Drive Cars in Chennai for longer routes. Anyway, I tried to book a cab on the meager battery of my phone, which had dipped to 5% by then. The driver kept looking into my phone while I booked the cab. Suddenly, my phone got turned off.

Driver: Bhaiya, phone off ho gaya. Aajao. Pay 150 Rs. (There was a huge smirk on his face)

[Brother, your phone is off now. Come and pay 150 INR]

I chose to ignore him. My Uber arrived in a few minutes and I entered into it like a celebrity. I switched on my mobile (I had deliberately switched it off), rolled down the window, and showed the screen to the auto driver. I had to pay only 60 INR for the ride)

Now I had a huge grin on my face!