Though we give our fancy cars to service stations for the repairing and servicing, but it is our very own Jugaad mechanic who comes to a rescue when we need the most. He is much more than someone who repairs your machine, he knows your family and you can always count on him for a quick fix. He could repair anything from imported cars to the local ones. The affordable charges, easy access and reliability is something that makes us count on this guy.
Though we give our fancy cars to service stations for repairing and servicing these days, but it is our very own “Jugaad” mechanic who comes to our rescue when we need it the most. He is much more than someone who repairs your machine. You can always count on him for a quick fix. The affordable charges, easy access and reliability is something that makes us still count on this guy.
Do you remember where your dad got his Maruti 800 or where your grandfather got his old “Amby” repaired? There weren’t many company service centres back then. It was a time when the good old mechanic at the end of the street serviced everything from imported Toyotas to the local Fiats.
He was the most sought after engineer in town. But even today, there are a lot of these local jugaad mechanics. People who will help you out when there’s a sudden breakdown and the fancy ‘road assist toll free’ of your car company doesn’t get through.
Appalraju is one such mechanic who has his little garage near my house. He’s been there for decades. We have graduated from rusty Fiats to Marutis and now Chevy, yet he’s been the same. His garage looks, feels and still smells the same. Even his smile remains the same, as he says he takes pride in the fact that though customers he’s known for generations don’t bring cars for regular service to his shed now, they call him for sure if there’s a sudden break down. He says he’s the “SOS man” in times of real need and that the service centres of big dealers are just for regular service.
Surprisingly, his business has increased over the years. Enough to build a house of his own and send his children to college. Though times have changed, in times of distress we’ll still go to the uneducated yet fairly knowledgeable jugaad mechanic down the street. It’s his affable nature, reasonable charges and quick fixes that make him work, I feel.
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