However, when I first arrived, I found them terrifying and exciting. Autos felt like the closest thing Vellore had to a roller coaster. The roads are bumpy whether they are paved or not and that makes auto rides quite bumpy. Autos are also smaller than cars and buses and so they weave in between cars and busses (not knocking over the bikes, but sometimes coming close). This makes every ride an adventure. Here is a video my mom took when she came to visit that shows a typical auto ride in Vellore: https://youtu.be/Upnq6IZC1Sg
Everyone from kindergarteners on their way to school to women out doing shopping might catch an auto to get where they need to go. Autos are one of the easiest ways to get around town and they can be as affordable as government busses if you take shared autos. Most of the students at my school take shared autos with about ten students to get to and from school. Autos are also useful for people who cannot drive, enabling them to get around town on their own schedules. The drivers know the city incredibly well and are expert negotiators. They get to decide when to work and they can work their driving schedules around family and school. My favorite auto driver, who is also my neighbor, drives an auto as a job so that he can afford to continue his education. Driving has allowed him to continue his education and he is now finishing high school at age 25 because of his income from driving the auto. Autos are a great means of transportation and a good income for many families in Vellore.
