Alternate Living: Reaching Kolkata Airport By Spending Less Than Thirty Rupees.

It was fully sponsored – flight, accommodation, food and training. I am still proud of my campaign idea though I am yet to launch the petition due to pending research. The hour long drilling to transfer my conviction about the idea to the organizers was a great learning too as it shaped my thinking and fine-tuned the idea with sharper precision.

My family insisted I arrange for rental car or cab to reach airport for the morning flight to Bangalore.

“Yeah right” I whispered to myself. The last time I booked rental car was to attend a wedding alone in South Kolkata. Wearing a Sari cost me INR 1200/- that day. When the driver offered to switch on the AC, I politely stopped him to let the natural breeze in (Read to save INR 200/-).  In my usual wear, I could have managed the wedding using Metro train for just hundred bucks. My family had insisted then that I book the car as it will be late to return home from the other side of Kolkata. “Ok fine!!” I agreed reluctantly.

Not this time, for sure!

The minute the rental car guy hears “Airport”, he has an almost automated response: INR 1400. He will add immediately “We are not Ola or Uber which means the car is all yours for that hour, as if it is manufactured only for you, pure and untouched”. Regardless of how many times you have used his services in the past, Airport drop charges are fixed and inscribed in stone. 

Well Dude, that’s the amount I spend to go to Bangalore by Howrah express and be back home in Sleeper Class. So “Forget it!”

I have an aunt staying a few kilometers away from Dumdum Airport and I visit her often as she is all by herself. Her daughters are married outside the city or country, couple of them fighting serious illnesses, living their routine measured lives or moved to greener pastures for livelihood or luxury or whatever. Every second week I get SOS from her, that she needs me to go to the bank, or visit her ill daughter or just spend time with her. I often oblige.

The point is, if I can go to her house every three weeks using public transport, why do I need a car to transverse a distance that is couple of kilometers closer?

My logic did not register in their minds. Now my family started throwing reasons at me, why I should book a cab?

I had luggage with me and I will not be able to manage

How many of you consider a laptop bag luggage? One bag with wheels is not called luggage if it has just six dresses in it, a few gift items (Sari, stole etc.) and a flat water bottle (May be a few papers and a book)

I am likely to face traffic

Right, that’s a valid point. I chose to avoid the road and opted to go to Dumdum by train which is 20 minutes ride from our station. My rationale fell flat and did not appeal to them when I said, that I can face traffic even in car. Early mornings are seriously not that terrible, I know that.

How can I manage alone because I am not a regular by local train now? How can I deal with the crowd?

My sister wanted to join me to help me with my “Luggage” in train.  She had office to attend after dropping me in Dumdum. “Seriously No” I said firmly.

So finally, how did I go?

A Toto to station cost me INR 10/-

The train ticket to Dumdum station cost me INR 5/-

(The local train arrived around 6 AM and was empty. I got a corner seat and happily managed)

A shuttle auto to Nager bazaar for INR 7/-

Another shuttle auto to Airport Gate Number 1 for INR 7/-

The Auto driver first proposed that I take a rickshaw to reach Airport entrance, and then almost immediately he discarded the idea and said, the rickshaw is allowed till a particular point after which I had to walk. So he recommended I just walk adjacent to the flyover for five minutes.

Just a five minute walk at 7:00 AM is doable because I walk twenty minutes every evening. And as I walked past the garage, waited for the escalator, I had the fodder for this blog - Too many people worry about Airport pickups and drops. I am hoping this blog will put some of it to rest.

So how good is your Mathematics? What does this total up to?

When I was back to Kolkata, the flight was late by an hour and I wasted a few extra minutes at the conveyor belt.

1.     5 Minute walk to Bus stop

2.     Bus fare INR 14 to Barasat

3.     Bus fare INR 11 to my residence

And for those of you keen to know how I managed to go home from Bangalore Airport, well that’s for another blog!

Research and studies show that the focus today across the globe regarding diseases that are progressive in nature and have no permanent cure, has extensively broadened to prevention strategies from treatment as treatment is hardly effective.

To mitigate risk factors and ensure lifelong brain health, we publish blogs, stories on any one of the following themes. So if you think any blog is not relevant to Dementia or Alzheimer, you can see connect to one of these, for sure. Do you have a personal story to share?

Regular Physical/ Mental exerciseSocial EngagementHealthy Diet and HabitsMental StimulationAdequate and quality sleepStress Management

Doing our bit...

I have used company transportation to commute to office during my corporate days in Bangalore for approximately a decade. 

I used my car when I had to take my parents out, particularly my father. After his attack, way back in 2001, he seemed a little feeble and fragile and so we avoided bus. My mother, on the other hand, likes long bus rides just like me. Give her a window seat; she will wear her collar (Spondylitis) and happily enjoy the trip.

For me, my car was just a temporary need, like my washing machine or the geyser. It bothered me to see people drive 30 – 40 kms every day to reach office, or when someone needs a car even to pick grocery or vegetables, though the shop is just 2 - 3 kms away from home and mostly offer home delivery.

I actually faced real Bangalore traffic when I had to come to office from my village home, after I moved to the outskirts in 2012. Before that, for ten years my old home was just 3 kms away from my office. It was ridiculous to see dozens of cars near Silk Board, Hosa Road with just the owner driving and their laptop bag in the side seat or back seat. 

Don’t they seriously realize they are solely responsible for traffic, pollution, environment hazards and health concerns? When I see many women, use stoles to cover head and filter the air they breathe using the same stole, it immediately makes me wonder about children who are exposed to this, on a daily basis.

A little inconvenience in public transport, a little sweat, a little planning to car-pool, a little waiting for bus or a little early departure from home to reach on time, an occasional bus ride at least once in a while, can actually create a huge difference.

I lost my father in 2011 and since then I hardly need the car. It still stands majestically, in the parking space, more as a memory of what I had bought it for in the first place – to take care of someone. 

That age old question beaten to death in multiple forums still needs attention - Are we not responsible to take care of future generation?

It is only when most of us start using public transport will the authorities take into consideration the potential revenues it can generate and make it better to accommodate more and build quality standards around public transport.

It was great to read about Nandan Nilekani, former CEO of Infosys using a bus on 4^th March this year – doing his bit. I immediately subscribed to his website to know more.

I am doing my bit too.

Are you? Will you?

Author Profile

P.S – My car is chauffeur driven as I cannot drive, which gives me the solace that the few times I take out my car, some hard working guy is making an extra buck for his family - that is great guilt neutralizer actually:)