Mumbai Masala: A Polite & Learned Uber Driver

Yesterday we had a most pleasant surprise. We booked an Uber cab to go to BKC Metro station from where we planned to take the Aqualine 3 train to Hutatma Chowk. The cab was neat and the driver was a bearded Muslim gentleman in a clean white dress wearing a typical “jali topi.” He greeted us with a polite ‘good morning’ and asked for the booking code no. When we gave that he said “dhanyawad” in pure Hindi. Out of curiosity we got talking to him. He gave his name as Mohd Salim and was 55. He was from Pratapgarh in UP where he learnt Sanskrit. He recited entire Sanskrit “shlokas” fluently. He has two sons, one of whom is pursuing his doctorate while the other has completed his law degree. “Education is everything,” he explained. Have never met a more polite and knowledgeable cabbie so far.

Aqualine Metro: City’s game-changing connectivity

The 33.5-km-long Aqualine line 3 Metro is the best thing to have happened to Mumbai. The state government and its IAS officer Ashwini Bhide deserve a standing ovation for this engineering feat. This is not to deny the teething problems like entry-exit issues, signage etc. Hopefully these will be overcome in the weeks to come. But the fast connectivity it provides from Andheri East to Cuffe Parade is truly godsend. One can escape the noise, pollution and traffic jams and reach one’s destination in air-conditioned comfort. The authorities have done their job. It is now for Mumbaikars to make a super success of this Rs37,000-cr project.

Rex Bakery: Colaba’s 24/7 culinary gem

Years before the Maharashtra govt decided to let shops remain open through the night, a little bakery has been serving fresh-from- the- oven “paavs”, buns, “kharis” and other stuff 24 hours and seven days of the week. We are talking of Rex bakery on Hormusji Street off Colaba market. It’s a small place bang opposite Nariman House which houses the Hasidic Jew synagogue targeted by Islamic terrorists in November, 2008. Even during the crisis Rex continued to feed the hungry. Next time you happen to be at Colaba make it a point to buy “paav” from Rex.

Tailpiece

A message doing the rounds on social media says “Deepavali hamara tyohar hai, Amazon ka nahi.” (Compiled by S Balakrishnan)

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Published on: Monday, October 13, 2025, 10:37 AM IST