Cab Driver ko Gussa Kyon Ata Hain?

The title litreally means - Why does the cab driver feel annoyed? For those of you, who have kept a regular track of my posts, I am sure that you must have noticed my absence, since no new posts came for the last two days. A hurricane trip to one of my close friend kept me occupied. Returning from the airport yesterday night, I was dog-tired and was having a bad headache. The drive from airport to my home is a long one. Sometimes the time to reach home from the airport may be equal to the flight time, if you have just taken a domestic flight. Comfortably perched in the cab, I decided to catch a nap by the time I reach home. In Bangalore, however, man proposes and traffic disposes...the heavy traffic, constant blaring of horn, sudden braking by the cab driver to save some precious idiot's life and bumpy ride over the illegal speed humps kept me awake and miserable. The cab driver also looked frustrated by the traffic pile-up and started an impromptu discussion with me, perhaps in way to vent his frustration. Although I was in least mood to engage in any talk, I could not ignore his conversation since I knew he was feeling better after talking to me. More than philanthropy, I thought he will drive better if he can vent his frustration. This is what he had to say (I being a bengali and he being a kannadiga the only common languages between us are Hindi or English. He told me all in broken Hindi that I have translated in English) –


‘You know Sir, this entire traffic problem can be solved. But none tries to do that. Illegal speed-breakers on the road, too may U-turns, too many traffic lights all slow down the traffic, causing traffic pile-ups. Every time a new mall comes-up you shall find a new u-turn in front of the mall to facilitate more footfalls. Why should you cause pain to public for pleasing someone?
Then at this junction (I am masking the name of the junction that he told me) a flyover can be built on this side too (there is flyover on one side of the junction) but it will never be because there is a huge petrol pump station on this side of the junction. If the flyover is built then the petrol pump will lose some business. Why Sir, for pleasing one person all others are put through so much trouble? The flyover, if built can ease-up the traffic at the important junction considerably.
I drive about 300-400 kms every day and because of these bad speed-bumps I have now started to have a back-pain. You know Sir, there shall be never a traffic problem in this city – only thing you need to is remove illegal speed bumps, limit U-turns (instead of having them at the will of few) and have traffic light junctions at a minimum distance of 200 meters. And of course a few additional flyovers should solve the problem. It is very simple Sir, but no one knows what to do.’

I think there is some merit in the cab driver’s suggestions. Anyway my journey ended and I thanked him and paid-up my fare. However the cab driver’s words stayed in my mind and I wondered whether his suggestions and plight shall ever be heard in the traffic strategy rooms of the city!

So many times organizations try to have strategy-meetings to solve problems and yet fail, whereas the simplest and workable solutions may be with the employee working at perhaps the lowest level in the hierarchy. Such solutions and suggestions can only be heard by ‘engaging’ with them. Even more importantly, the real problems can be understood. Engagement approach helps you to keep your ear to the ground.