Feb 05, 2008 09:32 PM
5078 Views
(Updated Feb 12, 2008 03:52 PM)
We travel on bicycles; we travel on scooter; we travel by bikes; we travel on cars, we travel on newly introduced sleek Volvo bus; we are proud to inform others- we took a flight!
But kudos to those who ever traveled on a truck! Indian transport industry never understood the importance of a 6 to eighteen wheeled, engine cabin, heavy capacity puller, trailer attached in the rear of a cabin- a truck!
Reason we find all recent and ancient trucks made on the chassis which are actually made for bus- engine inbuilt in the front! Unless the newer lot- we call them VOLVO! The best respectful message for a truck I ever seen was an ad for Mercedes Truck. Written on it back was “**Don’t get impatient, we are carrying medical supply for those in distress”
My first encounter with my rowdy love- a truck!*
Those were the days in Kolkata. One of our building mates had the business of truck operator. And once in a while we used to see his entire fleet standing proud in the open ground in front of our flats- 2, 3, 5, 7 and 9 all standing tall and proud!
Having come to meet their dear owner! Red, blue, green colored cabins, having names of his daughter, son and wife somewhere at the front or rear! Oh I was so jealous, Bubbly’s name painted on the body of the truck going to all the places in India, Kochi, Vapi, Jammu and Dibrugarh! My name only on the brown cover of my copy going to school in closed back and coming back home?
The uncle was generous!*
Next morning when we get ready for the school I used to take a sneak peak of my all time childhood fancy- Uncle’s truck- through my balcony- and I was sad, 6 of them gone saying TATA in the darkness of night and the rest three- roaring to leave with their engines loud and noise. I was sad but Uncle treated us with a free drop to our school in one of those three. And lo and behold- right in front of the eyes of all those gathered for morning assembly, I alight from the roaring Red Color- Goods Carrier, with National Permit written bold in the front and posterior respectively….of the truck. **My principle eyeing me! How come she didn’t know my father is a trucker? Gosh! Trucker’s child in her school?
You can’t take a truck for granted!*
This was an evening of last day of “pujo” uncle’s truck was taken in use for all those generosity he had, for free… to take back Maa Durga to her own abode! Proud and jovial to see my uncle’s truck, I was child who wanted to boast; see this is my family friend’s truck and I have full right to be all around it everywhere! In the engine cabin! And then in the trolley behind! Lo-and behold, the moment I did support my posterior at one of the sides of the trolley- wham, bam, slam! I was bang on the road, back of my head crashed at the turf first- now you know; why I am no brainer! **Lesson learnt- never take a truck for granted. Check before you come close, and always check your horoscope when you suddenly find them coming close to you!
Truckers have the best SOH and are God Sent!*
Oye machhar! Abee bhutni ke! Marega kya? Aja niche! Upar likhwa ke aya hai kya?And sometimes you just see their fists waving furiously in the rear view of your vehicle. I saw it at the sharpest curve at Kalka - Shimla road when I did overtake a truck at the bend and saw another one coming right in front of me! What a ghastly seen! But all I got were few fists waving in air in the rear view of my car! **They are the cheapest mean for God to send you for heavenly abode!
Trucks have all the messages!*
“Jagah milne per bhi pass NAHI denge”that would at least save us from all the honkings on highways!
Assi ke phool, nabbe ki mala- buri nazar waale tera muh kala!
A Haryanvi truck will always have this on her back-“yaa to aise hi chaalegi”
“Phool hai gulaab ka sunghate jaayiye, gaadi hai gareeb ki ticket lete jaayeeye”*seen on the urban cousin of truck- a bus!
Other than this they are quite innovative with naming of various parts of their body- as in the diesel filling tank is aptly called – **“Khadya Mantri”
I am quite inspired by them and the day I had a fight with Archana - just before going to dinner at a friend’s place- I did use my finger to scribble the words “Witch Inside” on the dust settled at the rear window glass of my car! She still kicks my as for that!
Truckers pay for that new gold ring for Delhi Police Thulla’s wife!*
Go out on Delhi road in night- you will be seeing the weirdest of things ever! On one of such nights I saw a Delhi Police Zypsy going full speed after a truck. I was zapped “Oh my god! I am seeing a filmy Cop- thief chase in real life? I could not believe what I saw the Police car speeding in full chasing the truck- I followed in close heels to see the exciting climax- But what? The zypsy just reached at one of the sides of the truck! A hand pulled out with a Fifty in it. Note taken and Good Bye! **Guess why does Delhi Cop’s wife wear all those jewelry?
Other than this trucks are a valuable part of our economy and business or how else we are getting cauliflower of Shimla, right here in Delhi, the very next morning? Kudos to them; they some times even help in India’s population control; by sleeping with females other than their wives available on line hotels, and wiping out 5-10 pedestrians or may be vehicular traffic in one go and sometime themselves falling prey to various STD (TRING TRING) diseases. They weather day and night, and then again morning and night just because someone, somewhere is waiting for his goods to be delivered!
Stuck on 74th this is my humble and nonsense effort to move to 75th!
Horn Please! OK! TATA!
