Fuel Steam Ahead

There was more. Don8217;t eye the customer, maintain a respectable distance, be courteous, make small talk about the weather, Indo-Pak cricket matches and, of course, the general health of the vehicle.

8220;No concessions for her. Make her wipe the windscreens, too,8221; I heard Deepica say to Neema, a senior worker. Neema8217;s job was to fill me in on the details, like feeding the fuel machine in 30 minutes, the nozzles used German, different types of petrol Speed is more expensive, but gives better mileage, diesel, pedestal, and some more gyan about billing.

All of which made as much sense to me as quantum physics, but Neema, god bless her, dumbed it down further: 8220;As soon as the car stops, go over to the driver8217;s side never to the other side and ask the petrol they would prefer. If it8217;s a diesel car, act accordingly.8221;

Fuel tank caps were supposed to be rather difficult to open, but one should persist and 8220;never keep the cap on a customer8217;s car8212;it could cause scratches,8221; she added as I readied myself.

My experience with the first allotted car went off surprisingly well, except that I forgot to take the money. The next few were more eventful. Neema had to restart billing for one customer as I mistook or mis-heard, seven litres for Rs 70.

Then, that 8220;German nozzle8221; too was a bugbear, weighing as it did a tonne they said it weighed 3 kg, but it certainly felt heavier.

Most customers, I realised, were patient and thanked me before I had a chance to thank them. Though it could have been due to the way I lumbered around with the nozzle, butter-fingered my way with the cap and sprinkled petrol here and there before actually doing the job.

Meanwhile, I also learnt some basic techie terms and some car care that could come in handy in case I have to deal with an autophile male friend. For example, how much do you know about brake oil? Ask me. Then there8217;s coolant level, engine oil, battery water8230; stuff that8217;ll make my father look at me differently.

And while I8217;m at it, here8217;s some more vehicle fundas: four-stroke bikes use dry petrol, scooters need an oil/petrol mixture, diesel cars generally need more maintenance8230;

Meanwhile, it was rush hour at the pump, which meant I had to make way for the experts. But before I left, I got my day8217;s pay8212;a crisp Rs 100 note, one that8217;ll be cherished as much as my first salary.

Oops, was that too sentimental? By the way, why8217;s your bike sluggish? Better get it checked, could be carbon deposits, you know.