Let’s exchange currency: Auto drivers’ new trick

Scores of commuters have filed complaints on the official Facebook page of Bengaluru traffic police and narrated their ordeals. It is apparent from the posts that the gang especially targets women passengers and those who are stranded late at night.

A commuter, Karan Mane, who was the target of one such attack, has posted that he and his friend hired an auto late on Sunday night. When they reached their destination, they gave a Rs 100 note, but the auto driver alleged that the note was damaged and demanded a different note.

When Karan gave him a Rs 500 note and asked for the change, the auto driver flew into a rage and accused Karan of giving him a Rs 50 note and asking for change. When the duo asked him to show the currency note, the driver fled from the spot.

Sunitha (name changed) too underwent a similar experience on Tuesday night while waiting for an autorickshaw on M.G. Road. She found an auto and when she boarded it, the driver asked Sunitha whether she had two Rs 500 notes as he wanted to exchange his ten Rs 100 notes. When Sunitha agreed, he gave her the notes and asked her to count it, while she too gave him the Rs 500 notes.

But when she reached her house in Murugeshpalya on Old Airport Road, the auto driver “reminded” her that she had to give him Rs 1,000. When she told him that she had already given him the money, he started hurling abuses her. A scared Sunitha gave him the money, and he sped away from the spot.

It was a narrow escape for another commuter Santhi Ramachandran, who along with her friend hired an auto from Forum Mall in Koramangala. “As soon as we got in, the driver asked us whether we had Rs 500 change and we told him no. To our surprise, he gave a bunch of Rs 100 notes and asked us to count it. When we did, the bundle had 10 notes making it Rs 1,000. When we returned him the notes, he told us to keep them and instead asked us to give him two Rs 500 notes. When we told him we did not have the notes, he wanted us to return the money. We immediately got down form the autorickshaw and went away. When we discussed it the next day with our colleagues, we found that we were not the only ones who have gone through such an experience. Two of our women colleagues had fallen into the trap and were duped of their money while they were returning home at night,” Santhi has stated in her complaint.

When Deccan Chronicle alerted the police, a senior officer said that under such circumstances, the commuter should note down the autorickshaw number or immediately raise an alert by calling 080- 22868444/550.