Please sign my petition to Rationalise Auto fares in Chennai on Change.org

I often board the Airconditioned MTC bus from T.Nagar to Kanchipuram to get to work. The 70KM journey from Saidapet to Kanchipuram costs me Rs.100. Today I wanted to get to the Saidapet Arch Bus Stop from Chamiers Road and started waving down autos. The less than 3km journey took less than 5 minutes, yet the auto rickshaw driver wanted Rs.100 for the ride!!

I hardly ever use the Auto Rickshaw because I hate haggling with these fellows who expect at least Rs.20-25/km but whenever I'm forced to, it has been a bad experience every time. The Auto rickshaw rates are yet to be revised in almost five years while fuel prices have gone up several times, so I've started a petition asking the Transport Commissioner, Transport Secretary and the Transport Minister, Govt. of Tamilnadu to rationalise Auto Rickshaw fares.

Please sign the petition and share the link with all your friends. Let's spare two minutes for the Chennai we love.

Change.org|Start an Online Petition

Thank you.

Are we a nation of mediocrity?

When my patients, who are predominantly rural, return for a review, I ask them if their eyes good, often I get a response that they're okay. When I quiz them further about why they're just okay and not good, more often than not there is no answer...

There's a restaurant that I frequent to get my daily dose of caffeine, I'm so regular that most waiters just bring my type of coffee as soon as I walk in even without me even gesturing to them. One of the regular waiter there asks me every time 'Sir, is the coffee average?' I respond it's good. To this day he unfailingly asks me everyday if my coffee is average!

Is this a suburban/rural phenomenon reflective of the general mindset of the people? Is it restricted to Kanchipuram or is this how all our people think?

Composed this on my mobile while waiting for my coffee and here comes my favourite waiter, gottago... :)