Bengaluru: It is said generally that auto drivers are very rude with customers and almost have a bad reputation for their service, they don’t ply the meter, charge double the meter etc. But, on 1 August in Bengaluru something different happened that puts auto drivers on a good note. An auto driver rode all the way to Wilson Garden to return a passenger’s purse. The customer who works at an IT company, had travelled in auto to shop for groceries along with her three-year-old child near Gurappanapalya. After the shopping she had trouble finding an auto to get home to Wilson Garden. “Everyone demanded double the meter fare. At one point, I almost gave in, but decided to try one last time. One auto driver, Sanaullah, agreed to ply by the meter,” she recalls. She got down near her place and took the bag of groceries inside. Not until she got a call from Sanaullah the next morning did she realise that she had left her purse in the auto. “I remember putting my purse back in my bag after taking some money out, but it must have fallen on the seat. It was a shock and a surprise when the auto driver called me in the morning, first to realise that I had lost my purse and then to get it back,” she recalls. The auto driver said, “I saw the purse after I reached home. I immediately knew it must belong to the woman I dropped last. With the help of my neighbours, I found a card that had her phone number.” Since it was late, Sanaullah told her he would return the bag in the morning. Sanaullah started driving the auto rickshaw three years ago. “Earlier, I used to paint houses which was difficult,” he said. “If people leave their belongings in our vehicle, it is our responsibility to return it to them without expecting anything,” he added. The woman praised the auto driver saying she did not have words to thank him. There was some money, debit, credit cards, PAN card and a duplicate of my house key. It was a good experience to meet an honest auto driver, she said. ]]>
