route riding

We all use the terms "neither here nor there", "here and there", "us and them"....
Today i quite experienced what it was.
Now if all of you are waiting for some spice filled story waiting to unfold. hehehehe am sorry. I was just referring to my route ride.
what is a route ride?
Route ride is a well.... ahem.... a ride which the company offers you- on a tin truck.
This is so that you visit the market and understand sales first hand.
I have done enough of the route rides. Starting from summers induction, during my project, during my finals induction and now. But I think it is like a perfect managers tool.
HA...trainee...what do i do with her? I have no time- send her on a route ride.
These bloody management grads who have no idea about the market relaities, I hate them- Send them on route rides.
Route rides are nothing less than the torture chair-LITERALLY.
So today i found myself on the front end of the truck, sitting amidst the sales executive who also doubles up as the driver and not one but two of his helpers. So if you know your math well- that is four of us in a seat meant for 2-3.
These guys are very courteous to you if you are nice to them. But nio matter how courteous I am, I end up having a silent fight with one of the helpers for space to sit inside the truck.
So today I went on a 5 hour route ride with my butt....well half my butt on the seat and the other half on a ....guess what?? a pepsi crate!!!!!!!!!
The guys were very nice and they bought me tanda(coke/thumsup). You cant refuse them because then they will not accept you. You have to drink the tanda even if you are a non-csd drinker.
On the way I took a break and stepped into a barista and grabbed a few bites.
I got a free darshan of sector 18 in Noida today. I sometimes dont understand the logic. Sector 18 has everything. I mean everything. From Papa John's to domionos to pizza hut to punjabi by nature to sagar ratna to lavanya to subway.
We roamed around sector 18. Every shop i visted tempted me to eat something. But I chose not to. The breads inside top breads, the sweets inside nathu sweets.
I also understood what people mean by between the devil and the deep sea. I was inside the truck.The sun blistering above us. I refused to get down because of the heat. But inside I was having a free sauna effect and sweating by the gallons.
I remembered enid blyton's usage of the sentence"the heat lulled them to sleep". I even managed to fall asleep inside the truck during an exceptionally long waiting period.
Then in order to get a bit more active I got down and went around some stores. I saw a store by name add-ons. I thought what a sad name for a store. But stepped in anyways. Once inside I was greeted b a polite elderly gentleman. It was a book store. Neatly arranged unlike Galgotias. The cool air on my skin felt like heaven. Then I realised what I wanted to do in life- I want to run a book store.
I will be the ever charming host.MY books will be neatly arranged. I will not put my books on discount saying" Akila recommends". I will have nice huge, colorful cushions. A tea bar will be there. Hot muffins are a must.
crash..... That was MY DREAM ENDING. Am back to reality. Of sales offices and toilets that dont flush.