Archive for February 27, 2011

We the Car Poolers

I got hooked to it for its sheer fun
I used to go to college by my bike. I was very happy when my father got me that on my 18th birthday. But in college most students particularly the seniors used cars instead! Initially this did not bother me. But when 5-6 of my fellow friends started sharing their cars in rotation, I got left alone.

They were having a fun sharing rides to school and back home every day. I always thought if I could hop into the group and be part of car share. They lived close to my place, and I could very well be part of the car pool only if I had owned a car to share with them, I would sulk. I was missing out on the fun to my utter frustration.

In another situation perhaps car pool would have been an exigency, something desperately needed to tide over the driving crises and I guess carpool India should be the national slogan and carpool in India a policy rather than a choice. Carpool culture in India has sometime to evolve and the best way to go about it to share carpool information with friends and relations and drive home the idea that is sane.

As my wish grew stronger when I gathered up my courage and requested my father to spare his car for me atleast once a week. I knew it would not appeal him if I put an argument of enjoying the company of fellow students when traveling to and fro my college. So I needed a better and rational or so-called mature reason to convince him.
I reasoned, “Dad!, you see you’ll need to spare the car only once a week and my total expense on fuel over a week will come down drastically as I don’t need to go to my college on my bike.”
I could see my logic having made the desired effect. My father was quietly thinking and did not brush aside my request. Then he nodded his head and while I waited for his expressed consent, he picked up the telephone and called up someone.
I was surprised because my request was still unanswered. And I didn’t know if my wish was granted. In the midst of this dilemma I heard my father ask someone, “Can us car-share to office?”