Life has really been a long journey of ups and downs, of happiness and sadness in equal measure. I’ve been a taxi driver for 32 years now, ever since I got my license in the early 70s. I am ever so grateful to my friends who taught me how to drive – I won’t name them because they are all now high ranking government officials. They did me a valuable service by teaching me a life skill when I was at my wits end trying to find a way to support my young family.
All these 32 years I have been operating out of this one taxi stand [Mascot]. I am one of 17 taxi drivers here, which also includes my two sons, Anish and Suresh. There was a time when Mascot was the hub for taxis in the city and there were 22 of us. Those really were the golden days for the profession because very few people had cars.They all used to take taxis whenever they wanted to go long distance, even celebs.
One of my most memorable trips was driving late actor Prem Nazir. I have taken him four times to Kochi and back. He was such a gentleman. On one trip, we got caught in a thunderstorm and the windshield wiper stopped working! He was very calm and patient and let me do my job without any sort of backseat driving.
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In those days most of us used to drive ambassadors painted black and yellow. I used to own one but had to sell it as I couldn’t make the loan payments in time. I even had to sell my home to pay back the money to loan sharks. Now, I drive an Indica on a monthly salary, plus a small cut for every Rs.100 I earn. Given the number of years I have been here, I have seniority, which means that I get first dibs on attending calls that the stand receives from Mascot hotel next door. The other calls are free for all.
I have travelled all over, especially across the Kerala and the other southern states. These days, however, I prefer short trips, 50-km or, maximum, 100-km journeys. The heady days of driving throughout the night, without a wink, are behind me. I just don’t have the stamina for it any more. I pass those opportunities on to my sons.
The profession itself has changed much, what with people driving their own cars and with the coming of online rentals. I have built up a network of contacts who keep me busy most of the time and some rental companies have my number on them and they contact me if there is work.
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I am 62 now and would like to retire and live a peaceful life with my wife, Susheela, preferably at Attukal itself. But circumstances won’t let me do so, at least for the foreseeable future. I won’t feel secure until I buy a place of my own and until then I don’t think I can give up driving.
I also want my sons to be settled in life. I am proud to say that I myself taught them driving and I gave them a skill to survive in this world.
(A weekly column on the men and women who make Thiruvananthapuram what it is)