Md Arshad, Uber Cab Driver - Honesty is Alive and Kicking

 I have been observing this weird habit of mine of leaving my phone beside me from the last six months. More than once I have left it behind and gone back and got it back. For example, in September when we were traveling from Tirunelveli to Madurai I left my phone behind in a crowded hotel and went to the wash basin and by the time I returned Tanmay was waving my phone. I had forgotten it on the table and our observant driver saw it and quickly secured it before someone took it away. 

Md Arshad - How to find a phone in Mumbai

Next. I was speaking on the phone, a particularly tense conversation regarding selection while leaving to Ahmedabad and since I was on the blue tooth ear phones I forgot the phone in the Uber cab after alighting at the Shamshabad airport, paid him and was walking off with my luggage still talking on the phone. Suddenly I heard someone urgently calling me 'Sir, Sir' and turned and there was the cab driver with my phone in hand. For some reason he had turned back, found the phone in the back seat and came rushing to return it. Now at Shamshabad airport I think the time hey give yo to drop is limited to some 3 minutes or here's a fine and he risked it when in fact we would think that people would quietly pocket it.

I should have learned my lesson but no. And this time I lost it in Mumbai - and the cab had left!

Once again I was in the middle of an intense conversation and was on my ear phones. I alighted at the ITC Maratha hotel which seemed to have some function going on so there was a lot of hungama. I got off and was still talking on my phone and by the time I checked my pocket the cab was gone and with it my phone. Losing a phone in Mumbai is like losing a pin in a haystack. And Mumbai is the big bad city with all kinds of smart people out to cheat you and con you right? Wrong!

I went inside, spoke to the lady at the counter and told her that I had to check in but please could she help me because I left my phone in the cab. And could she get my colleague Jyothi Shetty on the line in his room so I had some back up. Nimisha was pretty calm and efficient and was thinking better than I was and asked me my number. 'Let's call your number and check sir,' she said. 'He might pick up the phone.'

The first time he did not pick up. The second time, he did and my heart soared. 'Irshad bhai,' I said, remembering the name. 'I forgot my phone in your car.' Without a trace of irritation he said, I have to make a drop sir and I will come to your hotel.' While I was thinking how he can contact me in this huge hotel Nimisha took the phone and told him to come  to the hotel and give it at the bell desk and ask for me in room 1135.

I told her I wanted to reward him for his honesty (and also give him an incentive to come). Jyo had come by now so I called Arshad again from Jyo's phone and this time he did not pick up for a while. And then he did and I told him I will wait for him at the gate and he could call on Jyo's number and that I will make good his loss for my negligence. 'I will make the drop and come sir,' he said. 'In 30 minutes.'

Jyo and I wandered the roads wondering if he would come. Jyo was sure he would. If he picked up the call he is a good guy he said. We walked around chatting and called him again after 30 minutes. 'I am at Goregaon,' he said. Another 10 minutes. I said I will be at the gate.

We kept walking about looking for a Wagon R with 0071 as the number. And finally he turned into the lane. I stopped him. He gave me my phone even as he came to a stop. I gave him a 1000 bucks and said thank you. He smiled and took the money happily. I could have given him more considering the kind of data I would have lost, but that was all the money I had in my wallet then. He did not show any sign of wanting more money or unhappiness at being offered less or greed at wanting to manipulate the situation to get more. He was just content to give it back to its rightful owner. There was no building a story about his greatness at having come all the way to return it either. Simple. Job done.

The distances in Mumbai at so vast and the traffic so dense that it makes it almost impossible to find a mobile phone like this. Chances are very very very slim. He could have just told me to come and pick it up as well since he did look tired. But he did not - he made it a point to come all the way back. I tried to think if I would have done what he did - I doubt it. I would have probably told them to come and get it from me.

 I asked Arshad if I could get his picture. He put on the lights in the car and smiled. 'That customer in the back seat told me your phone was ringing,' he said. 'Good that he was a nice guy. Anyone else could have just pocketed it.'

The world it seemed was filled with nice guys. Three cab drivers and each of them made a special effort to reach out to me and return my cell phone. Each going further Not to mention Nimisha who had left by the time I went back in with my phone and Jyo who waited patiently with me while I waited for Arshad.

And Uber who seems to specialise in giving me my phones back too!

The world is a nice place. Why do we doubt that? And yes, I will now find a better way to keep my phone on mu person and not leave it all over the place. But this is not about that - this is about Arshad and his clan of honest men who would travel miles to return a phone and not take the easy option. My heart warms up when I think of them. May their tribe live long.