Discount your travel

Recently, I visited Thailand. A land of smiles, as it is known, turned out to be exactly the one. But my surprise was something exploratory and cannot be found in the city guide books. I was in the Capital - Bangkok - and had some fraternity colleagues with me for a media trip. We were checking out the street fashion, food and what not. Thai people are supposedly a smiling lot and I got a proof of it instantly on the first day, as our unplanned excursion of city started in the early hours of the day, as we landed before other delegates who were expected to join us in the afternoon. So we made sure to use our time by checking out the town in our own possible way with no guidance at all. While my accomplices were checking out some stuff, from a distance a tuktuk driver smiled at me and nodded his head. He was asking through his body language whether I needed him i.e. the tuktuk service. I just smiled, shook my head in admission that I don’t really need so. But somehow, he came over and parked his colourful tuktuk right in front of us near the pavement we were in.

After having a brief photo session with the colourful tuktuk we hardly get to see in Indian roads… we three started a deliberation on whether to go somewhere on it to spend the time we had on our hands. One suggested about “Reclining Buddha” that is popular for its beliefs and is little far from the spot we were standing i.e. near Dusit Thani hotel. Starting the conversation, the young bloke started deliberating to take his services by picking up the word “Buddha”. Wat Po, the spot we would need to go to see it, was at a distance and he offered us a deal of 40 Baht for a return journey. Not matter what we knew the fact the deal could go either way: good, bad or ugly, with only choice on our hands to make it better good, less bad or nominally ugly. So we bargained for a returned trip in half the price he quoted. To our utmost surprise, he agreed!

But with a condition, he said. According to him, we would need to stop at 2-3 shops during each way for few moments and check out stuff. We replied in an affirmative. On our journey, the shops we stopped by were elite ones and that ensured that our will to buy went for a toss. They were pricey. After making excursions for two shops on our way to Wat Po, the driver became friendly and told us that each visit by us fetches him coupons from the shops which is exchanged for free gasoline. During our return, we had become experts in entering a shop and coming out with no qualms that we did not purchase anything. We had bargained for a deal that was mutually enticing. I had taken his name, his registration and mobile number in case I needed his service once again in the city. Now, I don’t want to share his identity because doing so on Internet might have negative repercussions on him. I want him to carry on smiling as he used to do with his own understanding of English language, which made sure that I speak to him with no articles, grammar, difficult words, in my sentences. That was like -- “I go Wat Po back 20 Baht I pay you. Ok!?”

The bargain factor with tuktuk might be known to many but was a completely new experience for me. In India, we do have taxis doing the same in Agra by making us visit cottage emporiums, etc. But the scenario is not to an extent where three wheelers are doing the same in a city. This is probably because Bangkok stands as a shoppers’ paradise and depend a lot on tourism whereas India does not. I learnt a good way to discount my travel. A taxi drive would have pinched me.

Lesson for a teacher

It was an incident that taught me that we can never show our prowess over weak or subservient. Here, weak or subservient people could be juniors, people without authority or for that matter, could be even accounted for politeness.

During December last year, I had this outstation assignment in hand for a hotel association seminar meeting. So I traveled from Delhi to Agra (the venue) and back the very same day by road. During my onward journey, my fraternity colleague P Krishna Kumar from a rival publication joined in that also ensured that we did not face boring hours of road journey without companionship, that too starting early in the morning. When we were entering the eternal city, Krishna requested if we could stop for some moments to buy some “Panchi Petha” that is famous there. The driver of the car was aware of the best spot and took us right there. Krishna bought enough for a week and told me that that was for his wife who has a sweet tooth.

We reached the venue in time and got ahead with our work. By evening, when it was time to leave, we were told by the organizers to board a different car and also take a professor from a renowned hotel management institute in Greater Noida i.e. FHRAI Institute of Hospitality Management, along with. We were more than happy to have him with us, because we both had an extended discussion with that very person during the seminar we came to cover.

The professor joined in. He dealt in HR – human resource i.e. everything to do with human relationship that is vital to understand to keep an organization going. As he was boarding the car, the request came in from him that he needs to collect luggage from a hotel 15 min from there. So, the car moved in that direction right away. On reaching his hotel, he checked out from his room and settled his bills.

Meanwhile, we both were waiting in the car. Suddenly, Krishna started searching his bag. “What happened,” I queried. He had left his pethas in the car we came by to Agra. I asked him to call the driver of that car (he had his no). Krishna figured out that the car is still there and will leave in half an hour for Jaipur. By this time, Professor Saab got in and asked the driver “chalo Dilli”. Krishna requested him if we could go back to the venue and collect his sweetmeats. But this request was met with an arrogant reply that we have to again go back to the city which will delay us for Delhi. We were taken aback by that impolite reply, but Krishna was okay. I was shocked with that reply from a person who teaches HR. I did not pitch in because I felt that would have been inappropriate. The backward journey started on a sour note. When we were about to reach Mathura with the exhaust flames of Mathura refinery burning bright, Professor hurried the driver to stop the car at once. He started frisking himself.

Surprise! Surprise!!

He recollected the fact that he left one jacket in his hotel wardrobe with his home keys in its pocket. We started persuading him to carry on and call the hotel guy to courier the entire thing(s) to his Noida residence. We were not realistic in suggesting him that (because his family was not there in Noida and had gone on a vacation) but were enjoying sadistic pleasure on the episode.

Next step, the car took a U - turn. There was pin drop silence in the car. I wrote – “15 min of jrny to venue hotel wud ve delayed us. Now wat?” and showed it to Krishna who was sitting next to me behind driver and the professor. He just meekly smiled. We reached Delhi may be 4-5 hours late where the driver had to tell his boss that car tyres got punctured on its way back. On reaching Delhi the professor said to us: “We shall meet soon. It was nice meeting you.” We were speechless with plastic smiles on our faces.

Recently, a few days back, while I was cleaning my desk and sorting the visiting cards… I found him. It was more of an anguish I still carry for that person. In retrospect, I was angry with myself as well, because I could not say a word to defend Krishna’s request that day in Agra. But one thing is sure – someone taught that &%*$$@# professor a lesson. I don’t mind that it was on our expense – the time we both wasted.

Now, I don’t have his contact with me. The pieces of his torn visiting card are no more in my workstation dustbin. What about you, Krishna?