Ola should be proud to have you: Bangalore resident thanks auto-driver for his generosity

At a time when women’s safety while travelling is one of the biggest concerns in India, there are some incidents that make one not lose hope altogether. Bangalore resident Ranjana Shanker’s tryst with Ola Auto driver Ghamsafar Ali K is one of them. [caption id=“attachment_2328682” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Ola auto driver Ghamsafar Ali. Facebook image.[/caption] After an hour of furiously searching for a mode of transport that would take her 38 kms from Bangalore city to Kanakpura road, Ranjani Shanker booked an Ola auto through the app late one night. Aware of the conditions of travelling alone at night, she also got in touch with a friend who asked her to meet him halfway so that he would pick her up. As autos wouldn’t have been allowed to travel from the suggested route, Shanker sought the help of Google Maps to look for a simpler alternative route. On finding the only route that was mildly abandoned, she alerted Ali about it and instructed him to take that route. The driver however warned her that the said route would be lowly-lit and deserted. The next half an hour was a test of courage for Shanker –‘an auto-ride in complete darkness with a stranger in a city that’s not my home, with only my phone to keep me connected and provide me light,’ she wrote in her post. Throughout the ride, the auto-driver not only kept on checking on a visibly nervous Shanker but also assured her that it would be fine. He didn’t just stop at that. After they reached her destination, Ali also waited with her until her friend arrived to pick her up, which was close to 20 minutes and crossed the road with her when her friend did reach. He left only after ensuring she was safe. An overwhelmed Shanker put up a post on Facebook recounting the incident as a way of thanking Ghamsafar Ali. She ended the post with ‘Thank you Ghasamfar Ali. Ola, you should be proud to have him drive for you.’

The world needs more men like GhasamfarAli.K, a true gentleman who knows how to make a woman feel safe when the… Posted by Ranjani Shanker on  Sunday, June 28, 2015

Shanker’s post has over 9,000 likes and over 1000 shares on Facebook with users commenting on it praising Ali and thanking him for making the country a tad bit safer for women, one city at a time.