Auto & the Ambulance

When it comes to auto-rickshaws and their drivers, most of us only have horror stories to share. This includes stories about their rash & negligent driving, demanding extra fare for no apparent reason, refusing to go to certain destinations, being rude etc. This is true for autos and their drivers in most of the cities and I have experienced them first hand in Bangalore, Delhi and Chennai. But today I witnessed something that broke the prejudice most of us have against auto drivers.

Having missed my office shuttle I had to take an auto to get to a place where I could take another shuttle. On my way I heard the siren of an ambulance coming from somewhere behind. Most of the vehicles continued moving at the same pace without paying any heed to the siren. But my auto-driver moved to the extreme left lane and slowed down until the ambulance passed.

It is good to see that in a city where most people drive without caring for anyone else on the road, one gets to see humane gestures from totally unexpected quarters ..

Picture courtesy:
www.commons.wikimedia.org