New Delhi: The interview waiting period for first time visitor — B1 (business) and B2 (tourist) — visa applicants in India for USA is about 1000 days, reported the Times of India. But the US Embassy in Delhi is on a PR campaign rather than solving the huge backlog of visa interviews across the country.
The embassy ladies have left behind their bullet-proof vehicles and have taken to the streets of the capital with their 'personalised auto-rickshaws' in their 'out-of-the-box' diplomacy style.
Ann L Mason, Ruth Holmberg, Shareen J Kitterman and Jennifer Bywaters love to go with their Black and Pink three-wheelers by driving themselves for all their work including the 'official trips'.
Speaking to ANI, the diplomats shared their experience of learning this distinct mode of transport and how diplomats driving the auto-rickshaws is a rare exception!
"From Detroit to my auto rickshaw, I've had a lifelong love of vehicles and so everywhere I've been there's been something special about a vehicle but really none more special in my opinion than an autorickshaw. When I was in Pakistan, before coming to India, I was in armoured vehicles, and they were big, beautiful vehicles. But I would always look out on the street, and I would see the autorickshaws going by and I always wanted to be in the autorickshaw. So, when I got to India and had the opportunity to buy one, I took it immediately," said Mason.
"For me it was terrifying. Yes, learning to drive the autorickshaw was completely new for me. I had never driven any vehicle with a clutch, never driven a motorcycle only automatic cars, my whole life," she said when asked about how hard was it to learn, maintain an auto and get a license.
On being asked about her inspiration behind the idea, Mason said that her mother is her inspiration who inspired her to take chances and experiment in life.
Personalised autorickshaw
Her personalised black autorickshaw has a Bluetooth device and a curtain printed with the image of a tiger. It is named KITT, in homage to the 1980s' show "Knight Rider".
Shareen Kitterman, born in Karnataka and holding US citizenship flaunts her pink autorickshaws with flower magnets, said that she was inspired by the Mexican Ambassador who too had an auto with a driver. She has also tied colourful tassels to both sides of her auto and stuck flags of the United States and India near the windshield.
"When I was in US planning to come to New Delhi, I'd heard about the Mexican Ambassador. Ten years ago, she had an auto, and she had a driver. That's when I started thinking about it. When I came here, I saw Ann who had an auto, so when I own an auto, I want to drive it. So, that was my whole goal," said Shareen.
Mexican Ambassador Melba Pria was the one who started the trend when she made a white-coloured rick her official vehicle.
Hustle bustle in Delhi
Discovering the hustle and bustle of the city, Ruth Holmberg with her 'black beauty', goes to the market and meets people which she called her way of 'diplomacy'.
"I enjoy driving the auto very much and I love it when other women see that I am driving it and I like that they see this possibility for them as well. For me, diplomacy is not all that high level. Diplomacy is people meeting people, people getting to know each other, and getting a chance to build relationships and that's what I can do with the auto. I meet people every day. On my way from my work, going to the market. I know the vendors in my area, and I know people in the market. they are all excited to see me at the market with the auto. They come and introduce themselves and with that, I am able to build that one-on-one relationship and I think that is a very important part of diplomacy," said Ruth Holmberg from inside her black rick.
Explaining the experience of her journey, Jennifer Bywaters said that she got to see the good side of the people on the road who helped her, and you need to have fun and be brave enough to think out of the box.
"When I got to be in Delhi, I met Ann and after riding in her auto, I decided that I needed this vehicle too. I get to see the local perspective, more of the humanity. Some of the people helped me since I started driving the auto-rickshaw and so I saw the good side of the people in Delhi," said Jennifer.
Accustomed to the riding, she added that the hardest part was navigating around other auto-rickshaws but learning how to drive wasn't difficult.
"Learning wasn't difficult. I am used to driving a clutch so that part was easy and the hardest part of driving in Delhi is navigating around animals, bicycles and other auto-rickshaws. But I would say that have fun and be brave! Think outside the box and you do not need to do things as they have always been done," she added.
