Slice of life: ‘I feel women find it comfortable when they see me on driving seat’

It was last month that I learned how to drive autorickshaw. It is not that different from a scooter, except for the fact that there are gears involved. My husband works as a driver, too, but he drives a tempo van. In the past, I used to be very scared of the road because many people drive in a rash manner. But now, I have developed the courage. I took up this job because we were in need of more money to send our son to a good school. 

Our son is studying in Class one and he loves going to school. He is studying in an English-medium school and English is his favourite subject. In order to ensure that he gets a good education, we need two sources of income. I was pursuing B Ed after school. But because I got married, I could not complete the course. I wanted to be a math teacher. I would have become a teacher to whom children can approach for help. I would have been kind and at the same time strict when needed so that they could learn the subject. I behave the same way while I drive, too. I would strictly follow the rules while driving but I am also kind towards my customers. 

I would take more female passengers than men, because they would feel comfortable when they see a woman driver. But, that does mean I would not take male passengers. If they are not in an inebriated condition, I would most definitely take them.