Finding a driver

When you see people drive by in a chauffeur-driven car you usually are overawed by the good luck of the passengers sitting comfortably in the back seat reading a book, playing with their mobile phone or just gazing out of the window without a care in the world.

The center of all this attraction is of course the driver and most people are under the impression that having a driver is a simple matter of hiring a competent person which is not too difficult a task, given the unemployment in the country, negotiating a salary and you are all set for a peaceful and comfortable ride without any problems in the world.

Little do they know that this may be the start of a ride for which they were not prepared.

Finding a driver is not as simple as it seems. Mostly, people reach out to friends and relatives who already have a driver under the impression that it will be a piece of cake to get them a dependable driver also with ease and one who is dependable.

Yes many candidates are referred but none of them rings a bell and if you are a thorough person who would like to take a few rounds around the block before you hire a driver you will soon discover that the person you are out to test is not exactly the champion in driving that he was made out to be and is at best a part-timer who is hoping to hone his skills at your expense.

It is while taking this test that you have a chance to observe how this person is dressed and sometimes that is a shock you have to absorb as this person might be dressed in the most absurd manner possible and just a little smelly to make you want to open all the windows.

Some of the candidates are over-confident and believe that the job is already in their pocket and start advising you as to how they would like to redecorate the interior of the car and in fact give you a short training course in how to keep your car running smoothly.

Some of them seem to totally forget that they are still under selection and instead of asking if they have the job ask when is it you expect them to join.

A majority of drivers hail from the upcountry and decidedly many are not only good drivers but very dependable who can be entrusted specially to drop and pick up children from schools. There is however one problem with the drivers hailing from the upcountry.

Each year they naturally want to visit their family in the north or even visit it during the year for some wedding ceremony or the passing away of a near and dear one leaving you kind of stranded if during that time you happen to have your own family events.

There are daily problems too with drivers some of whom do not really have genuine problems, but by nature like avoiding work.

Some owners I spoke to are fed up and have in some cases fired drivers because of habitually turning up late and even missing work frequently which in organized homes where both husband and wife are working and needs a drop at exact timings together with dropping off children is totally unbearable.

Also the excuses given by errant drivers are horrendous to say the least.

Coming late one of the drivers had the excuse that he had a painkiller at night and could not get up in time in the morning as he was drowsy. Another ploy by drivers is to ignore your mobile phone calls. Some give the excuse that they had run out of balance and still others blame it on the mobile phone and its ringer which somehow only do not serve their purpose when they are being called by the owner of the vehicle.

In short, having a driver is not exactly a bed of roses but one thing I have to say specially about drivers hailing from upcountry and working in posh areas of Karachi that over decades of their service they have ferried the children of their employers to and from schools and other places without a blemish and with great punctuality for which they should be recognized and indeed admired. Most drivers are hardworking honest souls. The trick is to find the right one and then relax.

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