In India, one of the most convenient emerging form of transport is the 'shared' auto or Tata Sumo. You need to pay anything from between Rs. 5 to Rs. 40 and go from minimum distance of 5 kms to 30 kms without having to shell out a hefty sum.
But then, like every thing else, it is a mixed bag. If you want roses, you will get thorns too. That was my failed attempt at similies...or whatever. Anyway, back to the point. 'Shared' auto.
So this one time, in the peak of summers, my sister was to go in a 'shared' Sumo with my father. This is her exact narration of what happened. They had been trying to get a conveyance for quite some time and had pretty much given up, leaving them with no resort but to travel by this 'Shared' Sumo. Now the actual capacity of a Sumo is, 2 in front (driver + pillion) , 3 right behind, in the seat parallel to the drivers (engineer's description), and 6 right at the back in the opposing bench kinda seats that open at the rear. So how many does that add up to? 11. You're good! :P
The drivers being the greedy lot that they are...want to squeeze out (literally), every penny from you. So they want to fill up the WHOLE vehicle until there is absolutely no space to breathe. They fill in 3 ppl in the front ( excluding the driver) , 5 ppl right behind and 8 in the opposing benches.
Another important thing that you need to know is that my father CANNOT tolerate heat and when it is as hot as 45 degrees, he definitely didn't want to be scrunched up in the back with lots of people. He therefore chose the most preferable seat, the front seat. And when he came to know that there are 2 more people who're going to sit in the front with him, he decided to wait outside till they were 'stuffed' in.
Finally the time came and the Sumo was full. So, my father, very conveniently went and sat in the corner-most part of the front seat. There was just one problem. The door wouldn't close. Then he tried, unsuccessfully, to twist and turn in order to fit in, but to no avail.
The driver, during this whole time, did nothing but watch him try and fail, smiling all the time. Then, when my father had given up, he went up to him and said,"Saab thoda haath andar karke baithiye". My father, exasperated by now, complied. And then, the driver, who very well knew how to make his gaadi work for him, went, "Bang" "Bang" "Bang" ...you know how we try to close our suitcases when they are stuffed to the brim, exactly like that, except he didn't sit on the door (mostly coz he couldn't). By the fifth Bang, the door closed, he locked it and the vehicle started to move, with a very dazed man sitting in the corner and a girl rolling with laughter at the back. :)
