My Car

Finally I bought a Wagon R.

Took a 12 ‘o’ clock drive on the same day along with other friends till the needle showed some ‘empty sign’ for fuel. Ha ha.

Let me tell you about my confidence builders in buying a car.

Test Track – My first confidence builder

I learnt driving after coming to Maruti and my love for it increased when we (only lucky 3 guys out of 268 people in my batch) were put in department which owns the test track. We were first asked for government license. I did not have and I went to a training school for learning and “making” a licence.

Actually licence at Haryana is very simple process. Pay Rs. 2000 and you get the license in a week. Everybody knows that. But unfortunately for me I did not even have a “government ID card” as proof. I did not have Voter ID, or Pan Card or even my name in the home Ration card (as we had just shifted out house back to Coimbatore and I shifted to Haryana). I was allowed to drive with a Learners License that I had got during my college final year.

I learnt driving on test track. Initially a small patch was blocked (so that no vehicles comes in the way) and we were allowed to drive with “experienced” persons (actually they all have experiences of banging their car during their 20 years of driving). Later after weeks we were allowed to drive with hazard lights ON. (Indication to other test persons that some “hazard” is driving) I used to drive after 5:30 pm as there will be fewer vehicles in test track. (But some seniors do not permit as it gets dark).

Driving in a test track is very easy. Broad and perfect roads and you are sure that there is no vehicle close to you, no vehicle opposite to you as well. And one full year went driving inside test track. I have taken my vehicle in all kinds of tracks, muddy, sandy(this is the best one I loved it is hard sometimes), rough road, high gradient etc. (I still remember when I was practising stop and go in gradient, the cluch burnt very badly and there was heavy smoke from vehicle. poor vehicle!! 4.5 lakhs burnt out in just 1 hr and no body used it after that).

The accidents – Second confidence builder

I have seen accidents in test track. (How did I see matters more).

In codriver seat. I remember it still. It was an SX4 and its suspension was completely altered and was out for trial. The vehicle swayed like hell, went out of control and in fraction of seconds we were into bushes leaving a long tread marks from tyres. That is a huge learning. It thought me morals of driving. From that day I respected “seat belt” and safe driving. I am sure I would have been out of front windshield if I was not wearing it.

(I think this will be my only order to loved ones, “wear your seat belt else you are not coming with me” )

I should also mention about my boss, I do have broken some headlamps and body dents etc. He always asks, “Are you OK?” and no action / lectures from him.

Once the track in charge made a complain for speed driving and he replied, “New guys are doing high speed turns huh. Good yaar, they have learnt it fast”

He has been our motivation and he always asks us to be cool when driving.

“The outside driving” – the ultimate confidence booster

3 different routes of 200 km each in Haryana and Delhi, one to simulate high way, other for traffic condition and third for rough road simulation. (I finally got my licence by actually driving in front of the authorities.) I really loved driving on the roads of Haryana. I should thank my seniors as they have taken responsibility for my driving and the vehicle also. That was the best learning. My urge for buying a car increased exponentially after I started to drive on Indian roads. I my first 3 days I was bit slow and was sweating, but after that I became a very cool driver. I have driven all vehicles be it small car, sedans or the MUVs from Maruti.

I would have covered around 2000 kms on Indian roads and I would have at least clocked 10000 km of driving in my 2 years at Maruti. What else you need to buy a car? (Apart from money, which I think I am paid enough, to quench all my thirst)

And finally I ‘feel’ my car. Ha ha.