When Ola forces Digital India on you forcefully.

Don’t you hate it from the bottom of your heart when you have a company pushing its payment system forcefully to you?? Same is the case with Ola who have taken these “Digital India” narratives so close to the heart that they push the online payment system so much into your ride, you have no way to back out even if you want to. The same thing as been happening to me for numerous many rides now . 

All these things are happening with me for the ola outstation rides, I don’t know whether the same is been happening with you for the same or other rides too. Although I have the online payment mode also with me but Ola is not enabling me to pay in cash for the outstation rides. Even if I select cash payment as the mode, I would need to keep open the app for the whole journey otherwise it would automatically switch to either the Ola wallet for the Ola postpaid system on its own. If I either close the app, use any other app in the meantime switching to Ola afterwards would mean that my payment system has changed from cash to online. Even if I want to change the mode, there is this timer which goes in the background telling you to pay before the timer runs out, online to avoid paying in cash. Well the catch here is that the timer never reaches zero and enables you to pay in cash. 

The Ola server sets the timer in such a way that your ride would end sooner than the time goes zero . If the guys in Counter Strike get such a timer, they would be overjoyed. As usual I have complained about the same to Ola that when I’m ready to pay in cash who the hell are you to change my payment mode according to your own whims and fancies but they state the standard stupid excuse that the feedback has been noted, part they have no clue or are not willing to look into this matter. I have had various instances when the cab driver was happy that he would be getting cash for the ride which would enable him to take care of the running expenses for the trip but imagine his disappointment when he sees that the payment was online and he has no real cash left for the way back and in case of any eventuality if it may arise. 

On Diwali another driver was happy that he will get Laxmiji when he reaches the destination but imagine his emotion when the message flashed on his phone that the payment was made online and all he got from me was just 75/- as toll tax via the fast tag. For those who think online is helpful for the drivers may be somewhat mistaken as drivers I’ve spoken to have told me that although they have no problems taking payment online but there are instances when they really need the cash and at that time this mode doesn’t help. Ola doesn’t clear the online payments to the drivers on a daily basis thats why majority of them avoid rides which have online mode and probably this is one of the reason why you know now that drivers ask you the payment mode and cancel rides when you book a ride and enquire about their whereabouts. 

Another new headache for us commuters in the post corona times is that now you can’t get through to the customer care at Ola if you want to. Earlier when you wanted to speak to an Ola representative the app used to dial a Delhi NCR landline number and you could easily speak to someone. Now the app dials Bangalore and the system auto disconnects the call even before you can press any option. Another issue with this whole secrecy factor is that if you want to call your driver his number would be masked via a landline number first and his direct number would be visible only the second time if you quickly disconnect the first call. 

This whole new system is a real pain and even more frustrating is the drama that goes on with the payment mode and all things attached. In order to push the digital Indian narrative too far and earn brownie points from the authorities they have created inconvenience and as usual with the companies, are not ready to listen/have a clue about what’s going on... All they have with them is that standard cut, copy, paste responses which are helpful to no one. 

So the next time you take an Ola, keep these things in mind because these could land you in your driver with a lot of inconvenient issues. 

When art brings 2 strangers together for the lifetime

I have always wondered and thought that the world is a really small and unexpected things can happen at any point of time. Two  very different yet similar strangers, who live thousands of kms away, who have never known the existence of each other, never met can hit off so suddenly that it amazes you. It’s also testimony to the fact that art can really bring people together. 

Case in point here is two of my friends who came together via me just on a random hunch and have hit together so well that they both seem like sisters from another mother or real sisters from past life. One of them, Preetilata, my awesome friend is a Delhi resident, an ex-blogger, and insta fanatic, quiling queen, a drawing artist… Well that comes from me, someone who doesn’t even know how to draw a straight line. 

The other partner in crime here is Anupama, a crazy biker girl , my colleague, more than that a very very good friend, somebody you find rarely these days. When this adventurous Lara Croft is not riding bikes, polishing helmets she turns into an amazing artist. Her every sketch, painting comes to life instantaneously. It’s like she has drawn something and then casted a spell to bring it to life. 

They both came together one random day when I suggested Preeti to follow Anupama on Insta and see whether she might like her sketches. I was already in awe of what she made. Well it was a landmine move on my part…Self-destruct I must say. Both of them went bonkers over each other and their respective creations. I have never seen 2 introvert girls talk so much with each other. The common thing which brought them together was just art and nothing else. Within a week of being introduced to each other via online medium they were so thick in their bond that it felt 2 long-lost sisters meeting after a few decades. I jokingly call them sisters from past life and they truly behave like one. Majority of times I feel the other end of the gun when both of them gang up against me with lines, mischiefs and a lot more. I don’t know what will happen on the cracker of the day when these two actually meet in person. Even though they share quite an interest in majority of things, cuisine is where things get interesting. Anu being from the south has developed quite a love for some north Indian dishes while Preeti is looking to experiment with the more unknown south Indian ones. When it comes to food it becomes an interesting topic between the three of us. 

I’m always sceptical about introducing different people to each other from the different spheres of my life as I don’t know how the other person would react. A friend cum colleague meeting a blogger friend was not something I was sure of except for the fact that both of them are artists. Somewhere down the line I might have hit the jackpot for both of them. 

This post is one of the very few personalised ones I’ve written over the years but I’m sure that it would mean a lot to both of them who never thought that they would meet each other by chance and their art would bring them together. The world is really small. 

Dedicated to these two crazy friends I have in my life.