Deviant, mentally unstable driver employed by Ola Cabs

Ever since Ola Cabs was launched in Kolkata, I have been using the service regularly.  The price seems reasonable for booking an AC cab with the ease of sitting at your office or home and getting the driver arrive at your doorstep within minutes.

Ola claims to maintain high standards for their drivers. However, over recent times the company has faced complaints from customers regarding ill behaviour from its drivers

A similar incident occurred with me recently. I had booked a cab on Saturday,  july 15th (2017) to take me from Salt Lake, Sec V, Kolkata to Medical College, Kolkata (88, College Street).

Everything was going fine. I booked the cab, called the driver, he came for pickup, OTP sharing completed and the ride commenced. I had booked a share cab and two other co-passengers were travelling along with me. 

However,  when we were nearing my destination he crossed on from new CIT road to Lalit Banerjee Sarani and al of a sudden ordered me to get out of the cab!!!

I pointed out that my drop location was 88, College Street and to reach College street he had to go further down Lalit banerjee Sarani till it is crossed perpendicularly by College street. From there a left turn would take me to my destination.

He didn't say anything and continued driving till he reached the crossing where Lalit Banerjee Street is crossed by College Street, but then instead of taking a right turn he started abusing me!!!
'where is your drop location...it's not here...you are unnecessarily making me drive onwards'....were some of the things he said along with use of offensive language.

I was dumb found and in anger I asked him to call ola service centre to which his reply was, 'why should I call? It's your problem not mine'. And he swiped on his mobile screed which seemed to end my ride although I was not dropped to my drop location!!!

And before I could say anything he took to reverse gere and started running the cab backwards on Lalit Banerjee Sarani till he reached the Central Metro entry on C R Avenue!!!

I was angry and when asked what was wrong with him, he said, 'this is your location and you have to get down here or I'll continue driving along', and saying so he again accelerated forward reached the junction of Lalit Banerjee Sarani with College street, took a left turn.

It is unfortunate that my co passengers failed to respond to the crisis..probably they didn't understand our language of conversation or were too pre occupied with their mobiles!!!

This time I was shouting to let me get down when he said, 'why do you want to get down? Ill take you on a ride of the city. Sit back'. This was very alarming in the threatening tone that he said to which I turned down the window pane and shouted when he abruptly braked his cab. In a jiffy I got down and he sped away hurling filthy abuses. I had my mobile in hand but as he had already ended my ride the SOS button had disappeared.  I clicked the vehicle rushing away onwards.

I tried searching google for ola service centre to call and inform them of this incident. I dialed the number but repeated calli g only lead to a computer generated voice and I was kept waiting to talk with the executive which never happened as no one received the call.

Frustrated,  finally I gave up and went to my duty posting as I was getting late. But this fact shows how helpless the customers arenin the hands of hapless deviant mentally unstable drivers which are employed by Ola. 

Hail google translate!!! LOL

what the original post reads:

What google translated:

Why is Ola better then Uber?

Gone are the days of the ubiquitous yellow taxi and the driver asking for an illogical sum of money. He would stretch back as if nothing matters to him while the commuter asked with a requesting tone, "koto taka lagbe dada", as often the driver would refuse to go on "meter" especially if the commuter is in some sort of an emergency as can easily be made out from his general behavior or if one has to book a cab at an odd hour. 

With the advent of smart phones and android and more and more people using them,came the app based cab services - here in Kolkata the market is dominated by Ola and Uber. Over time the stubborn and often misbehaving yellow taxi wala has lost his ground and to the swert spoken cab driver. With the ease and hassle free nature by which one can book a cab to arrive at his dorr step and no haggering for the fare, these services have become essential for someone enjoying the city life. 

However,  more companies in the segment have led to more competition and that has been beneficial to the commuter for now he has got an option to choose from - cafeteria choice of sort. And now you have the option to share your ride thus, further dragging down the cost of a ride. But like every other quintessential bong from the middle class, I am concerned about my pocket as well. So, whenever you have the the option to choose from, you always comare and choose the one that suits your needs and pocket the best. 

My work often makes me travel from Salt Lake (AN block) to College Street. As I compared the prices between the two cab aggregators (Ola and Uber), on multiple ocassions I found that Ola is a much cheaper alternative to Uber. Given below are screenshots comparing prices on a shared ride as quoted by Ola and Uber for the same distance.

Ghats of Varanasi

Spiritual | filthy | populated | cosmopolitan

WEEKEND STORY - Doctors Do-It-All - Times of India

They are saviours, healers -a desperate family's last hope. But how do the physicians heal themselves?
Among the busiest professionals, with intense daily pressure and the stress to handle patients -several of them critically ill -more and more of them are taking out time from their busy schedules to pursue their passion for mental peace, report Sumati Yengkhom and Debashis Konar

A surgeon in white overalls, after a gruelling time in the operating thea tre, changes into a T-shirt and jeans and rushes to a studio for the final take. Or a junior doctor gets over her duty hours to hit the ramp. Some of them are in their 20s, some septuagenarians. What binds them is their pursuit of happiness.Unchained melody
From the OT to a recording studio or a jampacked concert hall, Amitabha Chanda,51, can switch gears as deftly as he runs the surgical knife through the cerebral veins. A neurosurgeon by profession and a singer by passion, Chanda has nurtured his musical skills since childhood. With his family rooted in classical music, love for singing came naturally to Chanda, who got training from his mother Ajanta. His passion for music did not wither during his days in Calcutta Medical College or while pursuing higher studies in the US. Aware about his singing talent, his colleagues started asking him to perform in social gatherings.
An ardent fan of Manna Dey, Chanda would rush to listen to him whenever the legend performed in Kolkata and even managed to meet him during a concert at Mahajati Sadan in the late '80s.
Chanda recently recorded songs of his icon with Manna Dey icon with Manna Dey Sangeet Academy and Saregama.
Oncologist Madhuchanda Kar, 54, too, balances profession and passion with equal ease. She trained in classical music as a child during her Modern High School days.She had a healthy competition with Alka Yagnik, who was a year senior. “Now I perform with the cancer-affected children of my NGO, Manami,“ she says.
Utsab Das, 25, is a known face in the morning TV shows as he performs Tagore songs regularly. Though he has turned to patriotic mu sic, he performs Atulprasad and Rajanikanta songs as well. While doing his MBBS, Das performed at a Kalyan Sen Barat show and is now an All India Radio (AIR) singer. His music lessons started at a very tender age with mother Kakali and later with noted singer Swagatalakshmi Dasgupta.
Apart from being a junior doctor, 24-year-old Pritha Chakraborty from Burdwan is both a model and singer. Taking time out of her Calcutta Medical College duty hours, she sings for AIR and has also won awards for her ramp shows.
Anirban Datta is also a singer, composer and songwriter. His musical life started during his days at the North Bengal Medical College. His first album, `Letters From Siliguri', was launched in 2011. He released a solo album, `Palatak', in 2012. The 30-year-old pathologist relishes the moment when he performed a song composed on Sourav Ganguly in a popular TV show and Dada praised his talent.
Splash of colours
Whenever oncologist Kaushik Ray, 32, gets time, he uses it to sketch or draw cartoons. The drawings often take a dig at his colleagues. But his major interest is in political cartoons. Recently, he made an artwork on the India-Pakistan tension following the Uri attack. “Since my college days, I have been doing cartoons and I enjoy it as a stressbuster,“ he says.
When not busy with the scalpel, 59-year-old paediatric surgeon Parthapratim Gupta loves to splash colours on the canvas. “My love for art began in school under the tutelage of Kamal Kumar Majumdar. No matter what, I manage time to follow my passion,“ he says. A golfer as well, Gupta does not let his creations remain within the doors of his workshop. Love for charity has led to his paintings being exhibited with the proceeds going towards medical help of underprivileged children. His latest exhibition, `Crossroads', was held in January.
Seventy-eight-year-old Debasis Bhattacharya studied psychiatry but excelled as an artist as well. “I had an inclination towards painting from a very young age and by the time I turned a doctor, I was more interested in art. My father and maternal grandfather were eminent doctors. I was greatly influenced by Benode Behari Mukherjee, my mentor. Bhattacharya has been holding his art exhibitions regularly since 1972.“Throughout my life, I have been looking at the interface of the human mind and creativity and visual arts,“ says Bhattacharya, who retired as a psychiatrist after three decades.
Orthopaedic surgeon Bitan Maiti, too, draws energy from painting, as it helps him relax.“Whenever I have time, I experiment with various media. I use charcoal sometimes. Pencil is also a favourite mode. But with paint and brush I feel more comfortable,“ says the 31-year-old.
Rhyme & reason
Plastic surgeon Sauradeep Gupta, 32, is a poet and a fiction writer who regularly contributes to various literary magazines. He runs a quarterly literary magazine -`Saptaparna'.Next on his wishlist is the release of his collection of short stories in the 2017 Kolkata book fair. Pallab Kanti Nath, 31, is a critical care expert who has penned a book of poems, `Lying Half Naked'.
Speed thrills
While most doctors prefer to be driven by chauffeurs to avoid the stress of negotiating the erratic Kolkata traffic, 43-year-old critical care expert Arindam Kar vrooms his way to the hospital in a Harley Davidson 2000CC bike. Some colleagues and friends call him crazy for toying with superbikes, but that is no deterrence for Kar. He has taken part in several Harley Owners Group (HOG) rallies. His penchant for bikes has taken him to rallies across India and neighbouring countries -be it as part of the May 2015 HOG rally in Bhutan or the HOG rally in Goa in February this year.
Tinsel town
For gynaecologist Basudeb Mukherjee, acting is a part of life. It started as a boy, when he would perform every year on the stage at their village Simulia, Murshidabad, during Durga Puja. “I started acting in films in 1972. My maid en appearance was in `Ami Sirajer Begum' and after returning from the UK, I was back on the stage. My next film was `Pratighat' in 1978. I acted in `Royal Bengal Rahasya' by Sandip Ray and played the father of Netaji in Shyam Benegal's `Bose: The Forgotten Hero'. I was quite appreciated for my role in Basu Chatterjee's `Chupi Chupi'.“
Mukherjee, despite being a busy doctor, continues to act in films and mega-serials. “If one wants, one can manage and time is not a factor,“ says the 72-year old, whose last film was `Babar Nam Gandhiji' and will also feature in the next Feluda film.
Orthopaedic surgeon Kaushik Ghosh started acting early in life while he was in Don Bosco and performing on stage turned into a passion.Till now, he has acted in 40-odd feature films.He has played a role in `Sab Charitra Kalpanik' and was close to Rituparno Ghosh. “I treated him when he was ill,“ recalled Ghosh. From Mainak Bhaumik's `Aamra' to Anjan Dutta's `Ranjana Ami Ar Asbo Na', he has been seen in several popular movies. He has also played a meaty role in Dibakar Banerjee's `Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!'.
Lens love
Sixty-two-year-old Debal Sen feels he's a photographer first and cardiologist second. “For over half a century, I've been a photographer.But as it is difficult to sustain myself as a photographer, I need to treat patients,“ he says. He has to his credit four books on photography.
More than half of his life is spent healing patients' hearts and the other half travelling.And make no mistake, his trips do not mean luxury holidays. Images are impacts of our subconscious mind, and heart. Trust a cardiologist to prove this.

From:http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31812&articlexml=WEEKEND-STORY-Doctors-Do-It-All-15102016008027

Respect

Father:
U know son said he to me-
one gets a mark of respect
But not me - Not his father
I don't deserve that
At least from him.

The day of the year last
Evening time at his in-law's
His two uncles were there
My wife's elder and on younger
The father-in-law sat in corner
There was the next door neighbour
And there was I
Sitting next to the man unknown
-the outsider, at least to me he was.

My beloved son comes in
And the new father introduces
The man unknown
He touches his feet in reverence
Elderly he was - it's good teaching
I was a proud father

Sitting next were the uncles
Courtesy he touched theirs as well
But right next was I
He failed to see as if i didn't exist.
He didn't touch mine
Looked the other way
Slipped away busy with his phone
Me - the very fortunate father!
I don't even deserve a token of respect
From the seed that I harvested
That's my luck!
Even a man unknown and outsider
Gets more respect then his own father today
What more shall I say...


Mother:
The two never went along well
Son was naughty
Father was haughty
He was a child and that was his thing
But the man of the house my husband was!
Beat his skin red
The marks went thereafter to black
Who listens to me!
My son was with his cousins
He loved roadside ice-cream
A thing the father despised
He had recently grown
He was now tall like his dad
Muscular shoulders broadening out
The man had escorted them
- he lagged behind the young feet
jumping, hopping, jostling there
The Ice-cream man!
Lets buy and lick, I'll make dad agree
Moments weren't spent many
After he had uttered the words
His ear ranged with a thunderous slap
The cousins quiet in fear
Hiding behind thin air as it were opaque.
What did you say you scoundrel.. Repeat!!
The ice-cream man tried saving him
Actually I requested him to take them Sahib
Words fell on deaf ears.
The son was quiet
Tears welling up from deep inside
'I say look at me and answer
If you can then hold your ears
And do ten sit-ups
Let this be a lesson for children
Who never listen' -
And quietly he obliged
A guy of 16 in front of the whole Bazaar.
No he didn't cry
Quietly they walked the length
And soon was home where I lay
Waiting for the children
I had cooked their favorites
But he rushed in
Hugged me tight
A grasp that felt he would never release
And cried and cried and cried.

See time turns around
My son didn't say anything
Didn't even insult
But till today from what he got
And many such more after again
It's difficult
To Act out the scene of Respect.


Read other poems at allpoetry

Why hold him back?

He lay there crying in pain
He harboured a virus long inside
No one knows how it came
For how long it has been eating him
But finally the body gave up
Lost the fight against the invader
Deep yellow his eye
A liver studded with cancer meats
Stretched down till the belly button
His arms licked dry by the disease
He cries in pain
Intact are his senses still
But losing grip of reality slowly
He knows he will end
His body is eaten up from inside
In deep pain he suffers
Askes forgiveness for crimes
He cant remember committing
Maybe the reasult of lives past
The heinous crimes he must have done
He wants to leave this world behind
And become a thing of past.
But the doctor won't listen
His passionate cries of desperation
He comes and notes and goes
A lifeless smile playes on his face
Do whatever but bent can't he be.
The nurse follows with injections
The fluid burns through the veins
He cries for mercy to the lord
And he wants him to embrace.
It's a gone case says the doc to a colleague
Then why do you hold him back?
He lives in pain
Cant he at least die in peace?
What's the point in holding him back
Piercing the lost body with torchering sharps
His manhood burns from the infected catherter
His body is rotting in his own shit
All he askes is the peace of death
Life - you couldn't give back to him
And still... Hold him back
As long as possible
Is that what makes you humane?

Read other poems at allpoetry

An evening wasted in waiting

So many expectations
Dreams, thoughts, fears, wishes
A day as this passes slow
Time stops and gives a pause
The moment you look at the watch
And finally when I’m ready for the show
The big time, quality 
The mobile rings a message
Today won’t be possible dear
Lets postpone it a bit further
And that feeling, exasperation 
And the evening
Wasted in waiting. 

read this and other poems on allpoetry

Ghoti and Bati

Source: Facebook 

LYING HALF NAKED: Thoughts spiritual to sensual and everything in-between

My first book  now available on amazon

 I travelled as I grew up and Grew up as I travelled. Along the route came situations, experiences and observations which had a lasting impression on the mind, body and soul. 

This book is dedicated to the memories and struggles which make a huge chunk of our lives but, often go unnoticed. 

Life is but a basket full of emotions.

Amazon link:  http://www.amazon.in/LYING-HALF-NAKED-everything--between-ebook/dp/B01EGAV0SK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461427481&sr=8-1&keywords=lying+half+naked