The viral nature of this one has put a spotlight on the side of gig work you don’t usually see. The author talks of a driver who is up for early and late rides while also holding down a 9-to-5, and has been on less than 5 hours of sleep for 8 months to pay for his kid’s medical needs.
Shikhar is the one behind the account, and he doesn’t just want to share a nice moment. He’s showing how a passenger’s actions – be it a delay or a little understanding – can have real consequences for someone living on thin margins.
The rush that sparked a conversation
He was in a hurry and left the metro for a Rapido. The rider was there in two minutes, but Shikhar couldn’t find his keys and put him off by five. In that time, the rider phoned three times, telling him to get a move on.
Once on the back, Shikhar put to him where the urgency was coming from. ‘I’m running late for my own office,’ the rider said. And just like that, a normal ride became a bit of a reality check.
The maths behind the double shift
Shikhar says the man makes 20k a month at his desk job. With a wife and three kids to put food on the table, and one of them requiring treatment and meds to the tune of 10k a month, he has to make it work.
So he works the extra hours. After a day at the office from 10 am, he’s on the road from 6:30 to 11 pm. Then he’s up at 6 in the morning for some Rapido runs until 9.
On the subject of rest, he told Shikhar he hasn’t had more than 5 hours in a night for 8 months. ‘If it is God’s will, so be it,’ he put it, in a way that was hard to argue with.
Why the story resonated online
What struck Shikhar was the rider’s good humour about it all; no complaints, just a smile. It was a humbling thing to think about, particularly when you consider how we tend to moan about a tight deadline or a bit of traffic.
You can tell from the comments what people are thinking. One put it simply: ‘People like him do exist.’ Another said, ‘Money solves all the problems.’ To which Shikhar had, ‘Lack of it creates ones you don’t even see coming.’
Then there were the ones who liked the attitude. ‘Smiling through it is the best part,’ one wrote. A few had been in the same seat before, with a college kid who was also putting in time at a local coaching centre.
What commuters can do now
It comes down to the little things. If you’re a passenger, you can make life a bit easier for those with a lot on their plate:
– Don’t make them wait at the pickup spot.
– Let them know if you’re not going to be on time.
– A word or two goes a long way after a long day.
– Have some respect for their time, come peak hours.
If you are often late
Give yourself some leeway before you book. Around 10 or after 6:30, they might be in between one job and the next. A heads-up can be the difference between them making it to the office or being out on the road later than they should be.
The bigger takeaway
It’s easy to see the hardship, but this is really about the unseen work that is the lifeblood of a city. For some, these are the shifts that put the essentials on the table. Being punctual is a way of showing you value that.
In the end, the post is a nudge to remember that five minutes for you could be the whole of someone else’s day. For a rider with two jobs, it’s what stands between getting in for a shift, paying a bill, or some much-needed shut-eye.
