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A few months ago, I went to Mysuru from Bengaluru to attend a conference. Like most people in Bengaluru, I thought I would pay for my bus ticket using UPI. But when I reached the bus stand, I found that the buses would take only cash. I was told payments made over UPI would not be accepted to pay for tickets. I was in a quandary as it was ages since I had used cash.
A rummage through my handbag returned several coins and a few notes -- a consolidated amount of Rs 500. The ticket to Mysuru cost me Rs 390 and I thought I would use the rest to take an auto from the bus stand to the venue. When I reached Mysuru, I took a pre-paid autorickshaw where I had to pay in cash. The auto ride cost Rs 80 so I was left with Rs 30. I decided to withdraw money from an ATM but I did not remember the password because it was so long since I had used the ATM.
During tea break, I was speaking to one of the participants, who turned out to be a fellow Bengalurean. I related my tale of woe to her. She said she had some cash on her and could spare Rs 150 for me. When the conference ended, I was thankful for the amount that could take me from the outskirts of the city (five kilometres) to the city centre.
As soon as the conference got over, I strode to the main road as I wanted to leave Mysuru before it got dark. I wanted to take an auto to the city centre. To my relief, I found that Ola and Namma Yatri worked. Relieved that I could pay digital through the app, I booked an Ola vehicle. It did not arrive. I booked on Namma Yatri. The driver cancelled it.
Half an hour later, it looked like it would rain and I was still waiting for an auto that would take me to the city centre from the venue. Just then, the same lady whom I had met at the conference came with her friend in a car. She stopped
by and told me that between them
they had enough cash and kindly lent me Rs 1,000. I felt a great weight taken off my mind.
I got a random, independently-owned auto unaffiliated to any aggregator apps, whom I paid in cash. I reached the city centre and got into a bus going to Bengaluru. I paid by cash. Once I settled into my seat, I first transferred the amount to the Good Samaritan and wrote “thank you” to my benefactor in capital letters. Back in Bengaluru, I thought over the day’s events. One, was a revelation – I was so used to digital payments, like everyone else in ‘Silicon Halli (village)’. And that had taught me a lesson -- always carry cash as there are places close to Bengaluru where UPI payments are not favoured.