Autorickshaws in the Indian subcontinent have a distinct appeal of their own. Enamoured by the charm of these three-wheelers, four US diplomats have ditched their bulletproof cars for airy autos.
News agency ANI reported US diplomat Ann L Mason, Ruth Holmberg, Shareen J Kitterman, and Jennifer Bywaters are now driving autorickshaws in the streets of Delhi as they commute to work. The women diplomat picked the unusual choice of vehicle in an attempt to engage with the local residents and nurse a sense of adventure that comes with driving a vehicle that is traditionally used as public transport.
Mason said, “When I was in Pakistan, before coming to India, I was in big beautiful armed vehicles. But I would always look out in the streets and see autorickshaws going by. I always wanted to be an autorickshaw, and then I got to India and had an opportunity to buy one. I took this opportunity immediately.”
The U.S. Embassy’s #autogang is here! Check out our first #DostiMonth video and see these three diplomatic auto rickshaw women drivers hit the Delhi streets!
Tune in every Friday this month for #DostiMonth videos!#USIndiaAt75🇺🇸🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/0ggfwyokqy
— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) September 9, 2022
Holmberg told ANI, “I think diplomacy is not always high-level and formal. Diplomacy is people meeting people, and getting a chance to know each other, getting a chance to build relationships, and that is what I can do with the auto.”
#WATCH via ANI Multimedia | US Women diplomats in Delhi ditch armoured cars, opt for personalised auto-rickshaws#USDiplomats #AutoRickshaws #Diplomatshttps://t.co/iM0TQPAuoR
— ANI (@ANI) November 22, 2022
Kitterman, who owns a pink autorickshaw adorned with custom flower magnets, said she was inspired by a Mexican ambassador who preferred travelling by a three-wheeler when in Delhi. Kitterman’s resolve to drive an autorickshaw was strengthened after Mason and her other colleagues bought these three-wheelers.
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US diplomats in Delhi pick autorickshaws over bullet-proof cars – The Indian Express
