http://whatay.disqus.com/enThu, 25 May 2006 08:34:47 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-4449836Reminded me of my own Bajaj scooter that I sold last year. Good writing.RinkuThu, 25 May 2006 08:34:47 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-4449835my first time here... nice post to start off with :)<br></br><br>chetak... dad's first one is a faint blip.. the second one a memory for the lifetime... i got my first bicycle after he bought his scooter, thats how old it was... and he sold it after i left my bike at home when leaving 2 years back... thats how new it was :)</br><br></br><br>sad that its gone... happy for all the while it was there.</br>ravenFri, 20 Jan 2006 10:57:34 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-4449834Dude...good to see you back. hope ATK is treating you alright. <br></br><br>And hindi is terrible trust me. but i think in french too everything is either got nuts or no nuts. i am not too sure, i think i learnt it for four months. all i know is this speech i mugged up ,</br><br></br><br>some thing like </br><br></br><br>"Bonjour, je mapelle BLAH. je suis tres heure por doux raison..."</br><br></br><br>i have foprgoteen the rest.</br><br></br><br>VIVE la france.</br>Safari AlTue, 17 Jan 2006 04:41:35 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-4449832Hey,first time on ur blog....had an interesting fwd some moths ago..."The Travails of Single South Indian men of conservative upbringing"...have had quite a few laughs on it along with friends....and somehow found your blog address...you write damn well..i guess its as good as telling ashwariya rai tat she is beautiful...u might have got tat compliment umpteen number of times...anyways..one more wont hurt..interesting read ...your blog ...will try to come back as much as possible...oh by the way ....im mallu tooo....completely agree with our situation..bye for nowJohnFri, 13 Jan 2006 09:39:57 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-4449831You have a gift! I loved both the posts. 2 in 2 days after a drought lasting gawd knows how long!!<br></br><br>I miss my mum's TVS Luna. Mother and daughter had plenty of adventures on it during the 4 yrs we were in Dehradun. We drove on Rajpur road at top speed. Mother and daughter. Sniff....</br><br></br><br>Write more often will ya.</br>If I tell ya, I'll have to kilWed, 11 Jan 2006 23:52:05 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-4449830Good Post. My Dad still has the chetak booking papers (paid in Dollars) for which he always wanted to take refund as by the time his allotment was made he had again gone abroad. <br>Though the Chetak always remained a commuter and never became a cult, i was surprised to see too many emotions attached to it. Talk to some one having a 'YEZDI' or 'LAMBRETTA' and they will tell the EMOTIONAL attachement and what they feel when they have part with it or hear some happenings.</br><br>I feel the Bajajs could have reveived the Chetaks and Supers the way Siddharth Lal (Enfield/Eicher) did for Bullet and made it again a cult with a demand for new models among youngsters.</br><br>Scooters still sell I see the swanky Hondas on road.</br>My ID not meWed, 11 Jan 2006 08:07:45 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-44498286 out of 26 had/ have a bajaj scooter in the family - that’s almost 25% of this very random sample. tells us a lot abt the product. In the absolutely Indian dictionary where prepone means to advance, and surf and dettol are common nouns for detergent and antiseptic lotion respectively, Bajaj is a means a scooter. <br></br><br>My favourite “scooter treat” was to be allowed to ride pillion behind my father with me facing not his back but the other way! This way, in ones’ mind’s eye, the scooter would transmogrify into a car and the stepney would become the steering wheel and one could vroom across the city in this absolutely fabulous “wonder-car” that just had to be the fastest thing ever in reverse gear! And when one got bored with all that driving, it was great fun engaging in blink-n-miss conversations with the uncles and aunties on the road. They of course would mumble unmentionables at this whacked out kid making not-very cute faces at them! But then who cared – the point was not to entertain but to be entertained – and that one managed!</br>alsoanonMon, 09 Jan 2006 05:09:41 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-4449827This was a great piece..I am so awed by the way you write so effortlessly and highly hilarious at that.<br></br><br>The previous post was a riot!</br>alphaSat, 07 Jan 2006 01:19:07 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-4449826Me too...I own a piece of history of the Great Indian Bajaj. The only Bajaj model whose production lasted for one year (as far as my automotive knowledge goes) -- The 3 gear Bajaj Cub 1987 model!! It runs and works even today!! Starts in just two kicks with the "tilt and straighten" routine. Thanks for the emotional and patriotic post on the bajaj :-)MaverickFri, 06 Jan 2006 15:32:05 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-4449825and yes....really .bajaj should present you with a chetak for this post....i bet even their marketing dept couldnt come up with a better article.AquaFri, 06 Jan 2006 07:58:46 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-4449823Good to read a new post after a long time. Happy new year sidin and keep those whacky post coming!AquaFri, 06 Jan 2006 07:57:29 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-4449822if you like humor...try the link below....its deadly..<br>http://aashraya.blogspot.com/2005/11/vyasas-dissertation.html</br>you love humor?Fri, 06 Jan 2006 06:00:43 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-4449821Hey Sidin!<br>I came to know of your blog day b4 yesterday (though I had read your " South Indian men" article some months back.) For the past 2 days, I am hooked on your articles in the blog and one word I can say about them is "EXCELLENT". You have got this amazing talent of putting a small incident in right words mixed with sarcasm and humour! That is a great talent and I definitely hope to see a book from you and I am ready to pay any amount (less than Rs. 100 :)) ) for buying that book. Great going dude! And, whenever you get time, please write something :)</br><br>Cheers!</br><br>Venkat</br>Venkat RamananFri, 06 Jan 2006 02:04:14 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-4449820Yeah, the very first motorised two wheeler that I learn to drive was a lovingly maintained Bajaj scooter that my dad had. Though I never liked it then, I know how helpful it was at a time when we could not own anything more. RIP - Bajaj scooter. <br></br><br>Nice post dude!</br>Deaths Head RoyThu, 05 Jan 2006 04:10:29 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-4449819We still have a Bajaj Chetak in our family. It was earlier lemon yellow. Its now Metallic Bottle green. Three years ago we got it rebored & it is running as good as new. This is one long lasting machine.RaviThu, 05 Jan 2006 00:05:45 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-4449817Hi there!Was looking through your blog.Nice posts.Also came across an old one talking about you getting into IIM A.Talk about providence!I have just got six calls from the IIMs and would love to interact with someone about the interview/GD process.Although you may state that it has been a long time since you have been there,i could do with any help.so please,please,please help me out.My e-mail ID is <a href="mailto:pranavnarasimhan@gmail.com.My" rel="nofollow">pranavnarasimhan@gmail.com.My</a> blog is up at <a href="http://pranavian.bogspot.com....looking" rel="nofollow">http://pranavian.bogspot.com....looking</a> forward to a response from you.Thanks!the observerWed, 04 Jan 2006 11:30:18 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-4449816Hi there!Was looking through your blog.Nice posts.Also came across an old one talking about you getting into IIM A.Talk about providence!I have just got six calls from the IIMs and would love to interact with someone about the interview/GD process.Although you may state that it has been a long time since you have been there,i could do with any help.so please,please,please help me out.My e-mail ID is <a href="mailto:pranavnarasimhan@gmail.com.My" rel="nofollow">pranavnarasimhan@gmail.com.My</a> blog is up at <a href="http://pranavian.bogspot.com....looking" rel="nofollow">http://pranavian.bogspot.com....looking</a> forward to a response from you.Thanks!the observerWed, 04 Jan 2006 11:29:47 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-4449814Sid, you missed stating the fact that Chetak was probably the first vehicle which could intially be bought only againsts Foreign Currency. This being so as it was made primarly for the Export Market. <br></br><br>Nice Post but why am I having a hunch that you have exhausted your Quota of 2 New Post (in 3 Months) and heading for a siesta.. Prove me Wrong !!!</br>Amit PandeyWed, 04 Jan 2006 08:47:45 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-4449813Made me think of dad's "now rusting" Kawasaki... I still remember, how for year's together, it was my only intimation to switch of the tv, and go study, as the racket it made, was announcement enuf, that "dad was home!!!" ;)creation2k5Wed, 04 Jan 2006 05:46:11 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-4449812R.I.P<br></br><br>Feel like crying.</br><br>But it was a Bajaj Super that we had. similar though?</br>anthonyWed, 04 Jan 2006 04:57:06 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-4449811How on earth do you come up with these things!!!! How How how????!!!!!!! I miss my dad's rusty old Hero Majestic moped.... *sob sob*. I hate you for bringing back tragic memories!!! <br></br><br>:-) Ramya</br>freespiritWed, 04 Jan 2006 04:40:02 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-4449810Hv not read the 2 opening posts of the yr but felt must, at the outset, thank u for coming bk! guess can now return to read the posts, begin the day well n wish myself happy new yr all over again:) Thanks for the fish palalsoanonWed, 04 Jan 2006 01:54:50 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-4449809Couldn't agree more. The chetak is a part and parcel of the Indian society. So although my dad has a car, he still uses his 33 year old Chetak. And yes, it still works just fine.Akshay RautWed, 04 Jan 2006 01:15:27 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-4449808Excellent post! Very vivid descriptions. My dad had a sturdy big blue Bajaj Chetak too - it went long back, but yes, the memories are still strong.ShruthiTue, 03 Jan 2006 23:32:28 -0000http://www.whatay.com/2006/01/03/farewell-and-thanks-for-all-the-rides/#comment-4449807I have great memories of my dad parrot green Chetak. It has been repainted to Grey.ThanuTue, 03 Jan 2006 14:21:34 -0000