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Whilst on my way to work on Wednesday, I ended up in a totally funky taxi ! He even had a radio in the car (seriously it’s a bonus if you ever find a cab with a radio!); and Red & Black Leather / Pleather covers on the seats … I felt like I was riding in a mate’s car !
To top it off – the radio turned out to be a CD player AND had a pretty neat sound system at the back … I had to take some pics of the taxi …
Here’s to hoping that all of Mumbai taxis are converted to be as funky as this one :)
I swear that’s just how I feel. As most of my regular neighbours in Bloggerville already know, about two months ago I was involved in a traumatic taxi incident.
It’s just over 2 months since the incident and just when I think I am almost fully healed and recovered … something … anything ad hoc and unnatural has to happen !
At first I didn’t pay much attention to it … but over the last 2 weeks I have been noticing that such incidents are taking place too often for it to be a random coincidence !
Last night (11/9/09) I was heading for a live stand-up comedy straight after work and since I’m not allowed to drive for another month or so – I took a cab. Now please understand most cabs in Bombay are quick to find and know almost all the routes – but of course I get stuck with a guy who has just moved to the city from a random village. We get to a particular turning and this guy is just speeding up – to a point where I can smell rubber burn and hear the tyres screeching … Guess what … the cab ended up with a FLAT and I had to get into another cab … No problems there, found another cab within 30 seconds … only to find out that my driver was reincarnated in the body of Frankenstein ! and kept driving with random jerky movements !
Last weekend, I thought, well I haven’t gone out for 2 months – no partying, clubbing or socialising with friends … let me go out for dinner and drinks with this girl NB (who was part of the documentary that I have been taking part in) and her mate KC. Normally I tend not to step into other people’s cars unless they have a driver … it’s just something I’m not comfortable doing unless I know that person really well and I know of their driving skills.
I suggested a driver to NB however since she has an expensive car and hadn’t used the driver agency that I use – she opted not to do that and besides she was not drinking that night. All was going well – she picked me up – we had a chill out evening with just the girls and then went to see DD at his hotel so that we could head out for a drink.
Got to the bar and it was already shutting shop for the night – so we headed back towards the hotel .. we were all pissing about in the back of the car and I was sitting right behind NB and happened to look up … all I saw was our car moving straight ahead at a decent speed (it was 1:30 a.m) and another car coming in from left to right .. and … BANG … instant collision !
Here’s my mate’s car (on left) and the other car (on right) … it was a pretty serious accident … luckily no one got hurt … the cars were both banged up … and all I seem to be suffering from is a bit of shock on the foot as I had braced my feet on the car mat when I saw what was about to happen .. natural instinct right …
It’s not just the above two incidents that’s got me thinking … Last Sunday I had told a friend that I would drop him to the airport – with a driver of course – and whilst waiting outside his hotel, the security guard – not even the valet – decided to move one of the other cars and he was so useless at reversing the car – he almost backed up into the security booth ! I should have taken that as a sign and asked my driver to move my car … because next thing I know – in a blink of an eye – the jack ass has gone and reversed into my car ! Nothing major – small little dent made from the exhaust pipe but still … it’s a f**king piss-off and a half !
I need to start driving again … at least I feel more in control of the things that could happen around me and if I have to point a finger – I can point it at me … but right now it’s just frustrating as hell ! I don’t even know what to do about it !
I’ve been trying to get around to writing about this but just haven’t had the time since my last post …. I had some wonderful ideas that I wanted to blog – however just haven’t found a few minutes where I can just ‘start’
Work has been hectic in terms of the number of enquiries I am sending out to my hotel counterparts – and for every enquiry I’m more or less dealing with the same hotels – just different people at the same hotel … and believe me when I say that I have practically pulled my hair out at the ridiculous levels of incompetency within the hospitality sector !
My car has been at the service centre for a WEEK !! Before you start thinking of the worst accident ever – it’s nothing like that – my car, Storm had a minor accident 2 weeks ago – and I have been left dealing with some serious dimwits at the insurance company and at the service centre.
On Friday one of these crazy cabs decided to start moving whilst I was still getting out of the cab .. and it ended up going over the back of my left foot … natural instinct meant I yanked my foot away … bad idea … I’ve had a sharp pain in my inner ankle and have had it bandaged up since Sunday …. went to the diagnostic centre next to my office today ‘cos the pain actually got a bit worse … the Xray guy thought I had a hairline fracture !!! And told me to go visit an orthopaedic doctor at one of the main hospitals …
Luckily for me – it’s NOT a hairline fracture per say – it’s more of soft tissue damage and borderline fracture .. I have to take medication for this (you guys must think I’m a druggie constantly popping any form of over-the-counter drugs!) along with keeping my foot wrapped up ..
So now that I FINALLY have my car back … I can’t even drive ! Just bloody great !
