Worthy of scorn or empathy?
Thank goodness for Rapidos in Shillong! These two-wheelers offer a chance to navigate through the city’s traffic snarls and get to your destination, even if it means arriving a tad later than planned. Anyone who’s ever attempted to brave the peak traffic hours of Shillong in a four-wheeler knows what a relief this can be.
But, there’s a twist. It is common knowledge that the Rapido drivers have developed a bit of a reputation. Some of them are known to suggest passengers cancel their rides on the app and opt for an offline journey instead. The reason? Well, the Rapido commissions are apparently on the extravagant side.
One Shillong Jottings member recently hopped on a Rapido to reach their destination on time, only to be hit with a tripled fare compared to what was displayed on the app.
It was almost as if they’d booked a regular cab! After some back-and-forth bargaining, the driver eventually lowered the price, and the hurried journey began, and so did a political conversation.
Now, what sets this ride apart is definitely the chat that unfolded.
The driver, in a rather candid moment, opened up about the challenges of living in Shillong, especially with the ever-increasing prices of, well, everything.
Turns out, Rapido wasn’t his main source of income.
He mentioned working for a private company that paid him a mere 13,000 rupees for an 8-hour workday.
Survival with that salary? Not easy. That’s why he’d taken up Rapido as a side hustle, despite the hefty 30-40% commission they charged.
As they neared the final destination, the driver didn’t waste a moment before asking if there were any job openings where this member worked.
It’s a real glimpse into the daily grind and hustle of Shillong’s workforce.
Impassioned debate on load-shedding
It’s interesting how occasional power cuts and the endless public ranting about it seem to be a wonted affair now.
An entire neighbourhood’s power supply was cut on one of the days this week and the folks there, not only were they hurling abuses and greeting the situation with derision and disbelief, but they even almost assembled to get to the bottom of it. They were vigorously looking for a fix.
The power that day was cut on two or three occasions in quick succession before completely getting into people’s nerves, prompting them to get into debate mode.
An uncomfortable spell of load-shedding earlier this year had tested the patience of Shillongites, who have now come to live in a much better place, considering that there are no power disruptions during the day.
Some in the gathering were certain that they should all the MeECL.
By the time they could do that or find a fix, the electricity was back. It turned the palpable irritation in this impromptu forum into an ending with a satirical twist. Everyone went back to their TVs, Wi-Fi connections, kitchen appliances, and so on.
The problem however didn’t completely vanish as a 2-hour quota of midnight load-shedding awaited all. But since it also helps people disconnect from the socials and other forms of amusement, they don’t completely denounce it.
Load-shedding is on and may even be set for a long haul, albeit on a lower scale.
The debate surrounding load-shedding has been as old as the issue is perennial. Although the worst is behind us, another dry spell awaits us next year, when again rains shall be our last hope to rid us of the vexed load-shedding. Nonetheless, only time will tell what lies ahead, although a little planning to lessen the burden wouldn’t hurt.