Drivers and Maids

Drivers and maids are a major part of an immigrant’s life here in Bangalore, even though are often seen in other parts of the world as “luxuries”. Now this idea is something you will have to give up when you come to Bangalore, because a majority of immigrants here have a driver and a maid. 

Why? Because they are a necessary business for the city, giving jobs to thousands of people, because these people need less pay than a driver or maid would ask for in other countries. Drivers are even more necessary due to the fact that the Indian “driving style” is very different from ours, and that getting a license here would be much more complicated and costly than simply getting a driver or having the company you work for hire one. Maids are also good to have, although they are not really necessary for everyday life, they allow for more time and freedom to make the most of your life in India. They are, like drivers, relatively cheap to hire, and some are even known to do more than their job asks of them. 

Both drivers and maids can be much more than their job requires actually, they can be babysitters, drivers can run errands, and they can be friends to both parents and children alike. They can be advisors on where to go to get something, and will know the best ways to get there. However you do need to be aware that not all of them will go the extra mile. Some, like our first driver, only came to work because they had to, and did not engage with us any more than that. Now technically that is all that was asked of him, but it’s always more pleasant to have somebody that tries a little more than a little less.