[2500cc]

Originally Posted by vina

I spent 15min searching but could not get the information - moderators, if you find a thread where this information is already present, please merge my post there.


Here's the problem:

I'm planning to do a Hyderabad-Mysore on the first weekend of July, and since I'm living alone right now (wife is in Mysore) and this is my first trip, wife is insisting that I hire a driver to accompany me, even if I choose to drive myself.

My thinking is that given the feedback and info I have received from folks on team BHP I don't need to hire another guy - wife of course trumps everything.



So the question is, for any long drive if you are planning it alone (or may be with one driver in the party only):

1. Is it really necessary to hire a driver to drive? What are the advantages apart from reduced fatigue?
2. What kind of options do I have, what expenses etc. am I looking at?
3. How to find such a driver and what precautions etc. to take? - a thorough interview etc. is probably going to be out of place given that the employment will last only a few days.
4. Apart from the fees, what other benefits to provide the guy (taxi guys usually sleep in the car - I don't want this guy sleeping in my car) -what is generous and what is appropriate?
5. Is it possible to get an insurance for a few days for this guy? - I don't want to be personally liable should we get into an accident and he gets injured or worse.
6. Any other advice...

Best thing is I would advice you to check if any of your friends are planning for a vacation. Take them along with you, you get a nice company and also share the driving amongst you guys.

[vina]

Originally Posted by 2500cc

Best thing is I would advice you to check if any of your friends are planning for a vacation. Take them along with you, you get a nice company and also share the driving amongst you guys.

Great advice, except in my age bracket (30-40) it hardly ever works - people have young children and other commitments so it gets very hard to sync up the timings with them, and long road trips are avoided with young children anyway.

I'm trying to get one friend to come along - but he has a 10 month old daughter. He will almost certainly back out at the last minute.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by vina

So the question is, for any long drive if you are planning it alone (or may be with one driver in the party only):

1. Is it really necessary to hire a driver to drive? What are the advantages apart from reduced fatigue?
2. What kind of options do I have, what expenses etc. am I looking at?
3. How to find such a driver and what precautions etc. to take? - a thorough interview etc. is probably going to be out of place given that the employment will last only a few days.
4. Apart from the fees, what other benefits to provide the guy (taxi guys usually sleep in the car - I don't want this guy sleeping in my car) -what is generous and what is appropriate?
5. Is it possible to get an insurance for a few days for this guy? - I don't want to be personally liable should we get into an accident and he gets injured or worse.
6. Any other advice...

1) I just checked, Hyderabad - Mysore is 700kms. If you don't have much of a highway experience, this will be strenous for you. Strenous but manageable.

With the right combination of starting time, breaks, ICE and a heart that loves crunching miles, you will not only do the journey by yourself but even enjoy it.

So, just ask yourself if you can/want to do it.

2) If you hire a driver, you have to pay for his meals and some daily allowance.

3) Best option in such cases : Do you know friends/family/neighbours who have drivers? Loan one. You can trust the driver and the whole process becomes easy.

4) Generally drivers do sleep in the car; else at the watchmen's cabin. People from outstation who visited our society had their drivers sleeping in the car itself, food packed from the house and used the loo for guests/watchmen (the loo was maintained well).

5) Doesn't your car have comprehensive insurance? As for personal injury, guess the best way would be to have a document signed from him stating a minimum compensation.

[vina]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

1) I just checked, Hyderabad - Mysore is 700kms. If you don't have much of a highway experience, this will be strenous for you. Strenous but manageable.

With the right combination of starting time, breaks, ICE and a heart that loves crunching miles, you will not only do the journey by yourself but even enjoy it.

So, just ask yourself if you can/want to do it.
...

Overall it is closer to 750, but I'm planning to take a nap at Bangalore at a friend's house (he is on the way) - this way it is easily manageable in two chunks of (roughly) 550 on an excellent road + 200 on a decent road, with several hours of good sleep (and stress busting by playing with his 4 year old) in between.

The problem is wife is giving me a really hard time.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

...

4) Generally drivers do sleep in the car; else at the watchmen's cabin. People from outstation who visited our society had their drivers sleeping in the car itself, food packed from the house and used the loo for guests/watchmen (the loo was maintained well).

...

I can arrange stay for him at a place in Mysore (wife's family is a trustee in a community center) - should not be a problem for me, but in general what is the best way.

My worry about leaving him in the car is that I don't want our man playing the music system and running the AC at night.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

5) Doesn't your car have comprehensive insurance? As for personal injury, guess the best way would be to have a document signed from him stating a minimum compensation.

Well, the car does have comprehensive insurance and I asked the insurance guy to add all possible riders, so if this was available then its included - but I'm not so sure.


In any case, travel insurance is usually cheap so this one should be too (my thinking) - and documents signed with these guys do not work, not on me at least, when there is a teary eyed wife (hopefully not widowed) begging for help standing in front of me and I have money in the bank - better spend the moolah now.

[NPV]

@Vina my 2 cents since this is going to be your first (long ?) drive:
since the distance is about 700km, why don't you try doing a 200-300km trip first so that you get more hands-on experience to make the decision to hire a driver (kind of beta/pilot run) ?
BTW I do know of a company in Bangalore that provides drivers on hire and I have used their services for local city drives and also know others who hired their drivers on long trips.
Again, this in my opinion makes sense if that driver does all the driving not like an optional co-driver as in your case - you may be better off with a friend/relative/aquaintance.

[kri$hna]

Contact a driving school near your house, ask them for a driver on a temporary basis. Usually, these guys teach driving clases on the weekends and on weekdays, looking for opportunities like this. Charges can be around 400/- per day + food and accommodation (accommodation is not necessary but good to provide if you feel its awkward to let him sleep in your car).

If not for driving school, try a travels. Speak to the drivers sitting around those places who will be ready to oblige for little lesser of bargained properly. Regarding insurance, you may opt for travel insurance probably for both of you, which will be easy to get. If you have a credit card, they offer accidental insurance to you and fellow passengers for a meagre amount around 600/- per head i believe.

Hyd to Mys should be strenuous, atleast now bcoz the roads are much better all the way. Just plan your drive time not to collide with the incoming/outgoing volvo traffic. That should suffice for a safe and enjoyable trip.

[vina]

Originally Posted by kri$hna

Contact a driving school near your house, ask them for a driver on a temporary basis. Usually, these guys teach driving clases on the weekends and on weekdays, looking for opportunities like this. Charges can be around 400/- per day + food and accommodation (accommodation is not necessary but good to provide if you feel its awkward to let him sleep in your car).

If not for driving school, try a travels. Speak to the drivers sitting around those places who will be ready to oblige for little lesser of bargained properly. Regarding insurance, you may opt for travel insurance probably for both of you, which will be easy to get. If you have a credit card, they offer accidental insurance to you and fellow passengers for a meagre amount around 600/- per head i believe.

...

I'll try to see if these guys have drivers, but how to find out i the driver is good? Many of these driving school drivers are actually bad (mine used to advice to keep the clutch slightly depressed always)


UPDATE:

I checked regarding insurance. TATA AIG quotes Rs. 171 fora single person 5 day cover (this includes all kinds of travel; has life, medical, and misplaced baggage etc.). New India Assurance has two policies - one for general travel insurance (website says Rs. 80 for 60 day cover - but baggage etc. is limited) and another Road-Safety cover (no quotes, but should be cheaper than the travel insurance)


I think given that I'll be spending quite a bit of cash anyway on (if nothing else) tolls, this is peanuts - provides the guy 1L worth of cover and totally worth it.


As for myself, I have a pretty solid life insurance policy - but let me see if accidental insurance makes even more sense.

[ranjitp1]

IMHO,dont take a driver with you unless he has been with you for a decent amount of time and you know his background,else the risk is just not worth it.There are upteen number of agencies who would give you a driver,but they themselves do not do any kind of background checks on them and neither do you sign any kind of written contract with the agency that you are contracting a driver from them.If something happens,the legalities are a headache.IMO,its not worth the effort.

Add to it ,your vacation would be spent on checking on if the driver is looked after well etc.Hyderabad-Mysore like I said earlier,is a breeze and with a stop in blore its so very easy.Dont read too much into the distances.Shamshabad-Hebbal is 6.5hours at any point of time.

[Turbanator]

I will advise you to check with your Friends if they have any driver or even within your company if you work somewhere - the idea is to have someone on whom you can trust or how about taking a driver from someone on this Forum ?

[Minardi]

@Vina, this may be off topic... I would request you to think for yourself (without wify pressure) whether you would like to have a driver or not. I think anyone who is interested in cars enough to be a t-bhp member, would not need a driver.

If you don't think you need a driver, then the problem is not to find a driver for your wife's sake, but to convince her of your skills and self-belief. Does she take your opinion when she wants maid/cook/household help?

Another option is 'just' tell her you found a driver to drive from Hyd to Bangalore
Don't pass the pleasure of a 700km long lovely drive by getting a 'driver'.

[dhanushs]

Hi Vina,

I suppose, your wife is insisting on a driver so that you can share the driving fatigue?. Well, IMO, hiring an unknown guy is of much higher risk and headache than driving alone, for reasons listed above. If you are finding it difficult to find a driver company within your friends list, atleast find some company. It would be greatly helpful in emergencies.

Also, take a look at the road emergencies threads here. Might help.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...e-driving.html
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...ut-clutch.html
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...ine-power.html
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...ut-brakes.html
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...reakdowns.html

Again, I have compiled a list of emergency items needed (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...ml#post2372004) in my thread. Take a look at that.

- Dhanush

EDIT: With the monsoons pouring, you might also want to take a look at this - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/owning...ing-rains.html

[YaeJay]

Originally Posted by vina

I spent 15min searching but could not get the information - moderators, if you find a thread where this information is already present, please merge my post there.


Here's the problem:

I'm planning to do a Hyderabad-Mysore on the first weekend of July, and since I'm living alone right now (wife is in Mysore) and this is my first trip, wife is insisting that I hire a driver to accompany me, even if I choose to drive myself.

My thinking is that given the feedback and info I have received from folks on team BHP I don't need to hire another guy - wife of course trumps everything.



So the question is, for any long drive if you are planning it alone (or may be with one driver in the party only):

1. Is it really necessary to hire a driver to drive? What are the advantages apart from reduced fatigue? Depends on who you hire. Now you can't assume reduced fatigue, One needs to be comfortable and confident enough to relax. There are a few drivers these days that can achieve that these days.
2. What kind of options do I have, what expenses etc. am I looking at? Options depends on how you convince your wife (guess its highly unrealistic), Expenses : apart from the driver salary for a day + bata + food etc., the damage to the car, or other damages)
   
3. How to find such a driver and what precautions etc. to take? - a thorough interview etc. is probably going to be out of place given that the employment will last only a few days. When you do find one please post how you found one!
4. Apart from the fees, what other benefits to provide the guy (taxi guys usually sleep in the car - I don't want this guy sleeping in my car) -what is generous and what is appropriate?
5. Is it possible to get an insurance for a few days for this guy? - I don't want to be personally liable should we get into an accident and he gets injured or worse. If your car is covered he should be covered.
6. Any other advice...

6. Get an experienced friend to come along or a friendly chatter box or borrow an experienced driver from a friend. Either way drive during the day, see to it you get to bed early the night before, have decent sleep and start after dawn. Do sedate speeds, break every hour. And most importantly, remember there is always a first time.

[vina]

Originally Posted by Minardi

@Vina, this may be off topic... I would request you to think for yourself (without wify pressure) whether you would like to have a driver or not. I think anyone who is interested in cars enough to be a t-bhp member, would not need a driver.

If you don't think you need a driver, then the problem is not to find a driver for your wife's sake, but to convince her of your skills and self-belief. Does she take your opinion when she wants maid/cook/household help?

Another option is 'just' tell her you found a driver to drive from Hyd to Bangalore
Don't pass the pleasure of a 700km long lovely drive by getting a 'driver'.

Man, this makes me wonder whether you are married - and if you are, I am JEALOUS.


Here's the thing: I learnt driving cars recently and regular driving experience is limited to all of 1.5 months (and my car has proof of that on its bumpers)

Now I had significant experience of two wheeler riding on highways and city - and I find that if you are the kind who takes precautions then highways are MUCH safer than cities (where no amount of precaution will save you from someone talking one phone, looking to shops on his left while turning right).

However my wife at this point of time has convinced my father, father-in-law, sister (she has been driving over 3k km every month) ...



I don't want to lie, not for this anyway. But you guys are helping because I can still send her the link to this thread.


PS: You don't want your wife to take opinions on maid/cook - trust me.

[libranof1987]

Dude! Looking at most of your replies, I'd suggest you get the driver.

But try to get most of the driving. Given your experience when it comes to driving and your family's reluctance to let you drive alone, it would be best both they and you are assured that you would be travelling safe and with company. Peace of mind is paramount during such trips.

You could hire a driver but let him enjoy the co-pilot's seat. If at all you are fatigued out, he can take over.

Let some time pass, gain some confidence and then you wouldn't even be posting this question on T-BHP.

Driving on the highway all alone sure sounds exciting and fun but the fact remains that not everyone can do it. You'll get there

[YaeJay]

Originally Posted by vina

PS: You don't want your wife to take opinions on maid/cook - trust me.

Ofcourse one wouldn't want his wife to take opinions on the maid/cook and everything else. But, Do you really Think you have a choice? Oh! Trust you? Ofcourse, we all are there for you offering support. The whole world knows the fact! Don't you think your kind of a late learner or something like that?