Reluctant Roameo's adventure with buying his first car - The Hyundai i10

Roameo · 23rd September 2009, 21:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Majic

At some time in between i was thinking of what profession that you are off, making me wonder whether you are literary genius or with all the narrations of medical lingo whether you are from the medical side. All said and done i really enjoyed going through your narrations and welcome you to Team BHP. Cheers! Many more happy driving days ahead!!!

I am neither a literary genius nor a medical doctor. The story was a sudden inspiraton and writing it part by part ahs been a refreshing way to end the day. The Medical lingo is borrowed

. Thank you for your good wishes and welcome to this thread.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vrprabhu

Come on, Roameo - it is not fair on Sonny boy - they can't even dream of these things.

I am not blaming Sonny in any way. It is not his fault. My Grand Father, father and myself probably enjoyed the same things in our childhood, or at least most of them. Just that things have changed rapidly thereafter and the New Gen is continuously exposed to too many new and expensive toys and gadgets, and too fast. It seems money is a prerequisite to enjoy childhood today. And that's kind of sad. I am also sad that kites don't fly in the skies of Bangalore any more.

McLaren Rulez- Thank you. You are a sport.

hillram · 23rd September 2009, 23:16

Vishy,I still remember the F1 car , I gave Billy and happy and elated to hear that he still has it.Its was Jaguar F1 Racing car driven by Eddie Irvine.

Roameo · 23rd September 2009, 23:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by hillram

Its was Jaguar F1 Racing car driven by Eddie Irvine.

Mr.Eddie Irvine, any comments?

ms001 · 24th September 2009, 10:10

best introduction thread ever cheers

Roameo · 24th September 2009, 10:52

Part 13
Damonic Dreams

He seemed to go for multiples of everything, or almost. A Hundred ties, a dozen watches, eight sunglasses,a fleet of scale model cars, an array of replicas of guns and pistols of every make and size and a range of girlfriends. He even ended dinner with three desserts! No distributor in Bangalore dare release a Bond movie without first sending him tickets for the premier show. He always maintained that Daemon Hill to be a notch above Schumacher and nobody in the world could convince him otherwise. He went about on a Vespa which he believed to be no less than a Williams-Renault F17W and which he rode and groomed like one. I am refering to Ramki, my good friend of several years, better known to BHPians as HILLRAM.

See what I mean?

The scooter can be seen in HILLRAM's Garage in its new avatar.He recently told me my Hero Puch has now become a collector's item and he is looking for one.

In 1997, it was still a different Bangalore, quieter and laid back.They were days when the agile Hero Puch ruled the roads of the city and I could zoom on mine from Jayanagar to Vasanthangar to my place of work in 20 minutes flat.The BPO culture was yet to swarm the city and turn everything topsy turvy. The pay packets of young professional were not as heavy and the car was a distant dream for those who dreamt of one. Ramki certainly did, and publicised it widely. He dreamt that the day he owned one, he would make sure the whole new city knew. His grand inaugural plan involved installing the most powerful car stereo available in the market and drive ceremoneously through every colony, block, road, street and bylane featured on the city's road map. Unfortunately, he couldn't realise this dream in Bangalore, but probably did so when he moved to Hyderabad at the turn of the century. I recommend that readers take a peek into his Garage. You will see I wasn't lying when I said he likes multiples of everything including dreams. A meeting with his hero Damon Hill a few years ago was a great moment in his life which he proudly cherishes and is another dream come true.

It is my premise that it is he who initiated Sonny's obsession with cars. He talked cars with Sonny whenever he visited us. Ramki's present to him, a Jaguar F1 racing car model as recalled by my friend in the previous post), seems to have somehow kick-started the irreversible process. His dreams only grow more elaborate and bigger with every inch of height he gains.

Sonny is yet to visit Ramki's Garage.

vrprabhu · 24th September 2009, 11:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

^His profile has the name of his car and has been revealed earlier in the thread. I won't reveal it though for those who do want to play the game with Roameo.

How do you know that he is not leading you on a wild goose chase - by giving the name of some other car in his profile? Roameo is upto something here!!

McLaren Rulez · 24th September 2009, 13:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by vrprabhu

How do you know that he is not leading you on a wild goose chase - by giving the name of some other car in his profile? Roameo is upto something here!!

He could well be. But I think he's telling the truth since the car which he claims to have bought fits his requirements pretty well. Anyway, I'm really enjoying this thread more than any of the others at the moment. Waiting for part 14...

Samurai · 24th September 2009, 13:19

Considering the trouble he had while learning to drive in India, I am still confused about his past driving experience. Did he really drive in Singapore or just in NFS?

Spitfire · 24th September 2009, 13:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samurai

just in NFS?

Festival Season Wishes
Spitfire

Roameo · 24th September 2009, 16:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samurai

Considering the trouble he had while learning to drive in India, I am still confused about his past driving experience. Did he really drive in Singapore or just in NFS?

Samurai San, my driving experience in Singapore was restricted to NFS in the same confines of my sons PC. I would have probably got a 1001 lashings of the cane if I resorted to such extreme driving there.

Roameo · 24th September 2009, 17:25

Part 14
Full Circle

The day of reckoning had arrived. The zone chosen for the driving test by the RTO was at Jayanagar 7th block main road and R.V Road Junction. There were several groups of 8 to 10 people from different driving schools waiting their turn.'Mani Motor Driving School' seemed to have a special relationship with the RTO and I was among the first to take the test.

The revolting smell of Pan Parag pervaded the car as the Supervisor got in. The test took exactly 60 seconds. He asked me to start the vehicle, directed me through about 20 meters which included a right turn, then asked me to reverse drive to the spot from where we started. I pulled it off without a hitch. The supervisor spat out of the car window and to my astonishment, casually informed me that I had passed the test.

On the one hand, I was greatly disappointed that my hard-learnt driving skills which I was keen to display were not subjected to closer scrutiny, and on the other shocked that a driving test could be passed with such consumate ease.

''Is that all?!'' I exclaimed."See, Sir", said the supervisor pointing at the waiting groups of candidates waiting impatiently in the hot son, "I don't have the time to waste 20 minutes for each person. Also,Sir, I don't want to keep people waiting. I can only give you a licence. Now, it is your responsibility to learn driving properly because it is a question of your life and of others". Since I couldn't refute such sound reasoning, I politely thanked him and exited the car. However, I did reflect on his logic seriously and enrolled for some additional driving lessons with Hanu.

A few weeks later I kept my promise to Sonny I had made 10 years earlier, though it was a different car in a different color.

hillram · 24th September 2009, 21:46

Vishy..Wonderful description of our Bangalore bygone era pre-millenium.Its truly nostalgic and what a wonderful way to recap it on a forum like T-BHP.

ronin · 24th September 2009, 22:23

As others have been saying , its been an awesome way to say hi! and now the pressure is on all the newbies to come up with something like this and that includes me.

Roameo · 24th September 2009, 22:37

Hi Ronin,
Behind every car there is a story. Would love to read yours. Cheers.

Samurai · 25th September 2009, 00:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roameo

The revolting smell of Pan Parag pervaded the car as the Supervisor got in. The test took exactly 60 seconds. He asked me to start the vehicle, directed me through about 20 meters which included a right turn, then asked me to reverse drive to the spot from where we started. I pulled it off without a hitch. The supervisor spat out of the car window and to my astonishment, casually informed me that I had passed the test.

On the one hand, I was greatly disappointed that my hard-learnt driving skills which I was keen to display were not subjected to closer scrutiny, and on the other shocked that a driving test could be passed with such consumate ease.

I see nothing has changed since I took the car driving test in 1992.

I went to a driving school owned by a distant relative. But I didn't tell him because I didn't want him to feel obliged to offer a discount or freebie lessons. During the DL test, the inspector asked me to do parallel parking, that was something my driving instructor never taught. I had no clue, so I failed.

I was really upset about failing on a technique I was never taught. So I visited the driving school owner and told I failed the test. He calmly asked me why I approached the RTO directly. I said I went through his school and not directly. Now he asked me why the heck I didn't inform him about it. I was like.. ugh.. umm.

Anyway, he told me how it works. RTO chaps don't take bribe from strangers, for the same reason why kids shouldn't talk to strangers. That is why driving schools act like the middlemen for getting driving license. Obviously, the RTO inspectors can't pass every candidate, they are supposed to fail roughly half the people. This is in spite of the fact that driving schools pay bribe for every candidate coming through their school, it is built into their fee structure.

So they have a mutual understanding. The driving school will select whom to fail and whom to pass and provide that list to the inspector. The inspector will give tough or easy test depending on the result he wants. Since I was just another customer, the driving school clerk picked my name for the fail list on that day, planning to put me into pass list next time. Then the owner told me that I will be put into the pass list next time. If I had informed earlier, I would have been on the pass list very first time. Stupid me, I wanted to pass by my own merit. He had a nice laugh when he heard that.

In the next test, the inspector asked me to to drive in the straight line, make a right turn and stop. He was very impressed and passed me.

Looks like the state of affair remains the same even now. You were on the pass list.

PS: A year later I passed a real driving test in new Jersey in first attempt by merit. I have that consolation.

23rd September 2009, 23:16	#92
hillram Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 2,942 Thanked: 1,326 Times View My Garage	Vishy,I still remember the F1 car , I gave Billy and happy and elated to hear that he still has it.Its was Jaguar F1 Racing car driven by Eddie Irvine.
	() Thanks

24th September 2009, 10:10	#94
ms001 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: bangalore Posts: 1,003 Thanked: 162 Times	best introduction thread ever cheers
	() Thanks

24th September 2009, 10:52	#95
Roameo BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 127 Thanked: 39 Times	Part 13 Damonic Dreams He seemed to go for multiples of everything, or almost. A Hundred ties, a dozen watches, eight sunglasses,a fleet of scale model cars, an array of replicas of guns and pistols of every make and size and a range of girlfriends. He even ended dinner with three desserts! No distributor in Bangalore dare release a Bond movie without first sending him tickets for the premier show. He always maintained that Daemon Hill to be a notch above Schumacher and nobody in the world could convince him otherwise. He went about on a Vespa which he believed to be no less than a Williams-Renault F17W and which he rode and groomed like one. I am refering to Ramki, my good friend of several years, better known to BHPians as HILLRAM. See what I mean? The scooter can be seen in HILLRAM's Garage in its new avatar.He recently told me my Hero Puch has now become a collector's item and he is looking for one. In 1997, it was still a different Bangalore, quieter and laid back.They were days when the agile Hero Puch ruled the roads of the city and I could zoom on mine from Jayanagar to Vasanthangar to my place of work in 20 minutes flat.The BPO culture was yet to swarm the city and turn everything topsy turvy. The pay packets of young professional were not as heavy and the car was a distant dream for those who dreamt of one. Ramki certainly did, and publicised it widely. He dreamt that the day he owned one, he would make sure the whole new city knew. His grand inaugural plan involved installing the most powerful car stereo available in the market and drive ceremoneously through every colony, block, road, street and bylane featured on the city's road map. Unfortunately, he couldn't realise this dream in Bangalore, but probably did so when he moved to Hyderabad at the turn of the century. I recommend that readers take a peek into his Garage. You will see I wasn't lying when I said he likes multiples of everything including dreams. A meeting with his hero Damon Hill a few years ago was a great moment in his life which he proudly cherishes and is another dream come true. It is my premise that it is he who initiated Sonny's obsession with cars. He talked cars with Sonny whenever he visited us. Ramki's present to him, a Jaguar F1 racing car model as recalled by my friend in the previous post), seems to have somehow kick-started the irreversible process. His dreams only grow more elaborate and bigger with every inch of height he gains. Sonny is yet to visit Ramki's Garage.
	(1) Thanks

24th September 2009, 13:19	#98
Samurai Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bangalore/Udupi Posts: 25,831 Thanked: 45,604 Times View My Garage	Considering the trouble he had while learning to drive in India, I am still confused about his past driving experience. Did he really drive in Singapore or just in NFS?
	() Thanks

24th September 2009, 17:25	#101
Roameo BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 127 Thanked: 39 Times	Part 14 Full Circle The day of reckoning had arrived. The zone chosen for the driving test by the RTO was at Jayanagar 7th block main road and R.V Road Junction. There were several groups of 8 to 10 people from different driving schools waiting their turn.'Mani Motor Driving School' seemed to have a special relationship with the RTO and I was among the first to take the test. The revolting smell of Pan Parag pervaded the car as the Supervisor got in. The test took exactly 60 seconds. He asked me to start the vehicle, directed me through about 20 meters which included a right turn, then asked me to reverse drive to the spot from where we started. I pulled it off without a hitch. The supervisor spat out of the car window and to my astonishment, casually informed me that I had passed the test. On the one hand, I was greatly disappointed that my hard-learnt driving skills which I was keen to display were not subjected to closer scrutiny, and on the other shocked that a driving test could be passed with such consumate ease. ''Is that all?!'' I exclaimed."See, Sir", said the supervisor pointing at the waiting groups of candidates waiting impatiently in the hot son, "I don't have the time to waste 20 minutes for each person. Also,Sir, I don't want to keep people waiting. I can only give you a licence. Now, it is your responsibility to learn driving properly because it is a question of your life and of others". Since I couldn't refute such sound reasoning, I politely thanked him and exited the car. However, I did reflect on his logic seriously and enrolled for some additional driving lessons with Hanu. A few weeks later I kept my promise to Sonny I had made 10 years earlier, though it was a different car in a different color.
	(1) Thanks

24th September 2009, 21:46	#102
hillram Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 2,942 Thanked: 1,326 Times View My Garage	Vishy..Wonderful description of our Bangalore bygone era pre-millenium.Its truly nostalgic and what a wonderful way to recap it on a forum like T-BHP.
	() Thanks

24th September 2009, 22:23	#103
ronin BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Trichur Posts: 101 Thanked: 46 Times	As others have been saying , its been an awesome way to say hi! and now the pressure is on all the newbies to come up with something like this and that includes me.
	() Thanks

24th September 2009, 22:37	#104
Roameo BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 127 Thanked: 39 Times	Hi Ronin, Behind every car there is a story. Would love to read yours. Cheers.
	() Thanks