Hearing Concerning Auto Exact Change Search
Passenger initiates pocket search for exact change despite available digital payment. Hearing convened to establish whether this was optional.
TRANSCRIPT OF PROCEEDINGS Matter: In re: Auto Exact Change Search during auto fare settlement Convened by: Passenger Behavior Documentation Subcommittee Witness: Regular commuter, morning route, as-yet unnamed
CHAIR: You were seated in the front passenger seat.
WITNESS: Correct.
CHAIR: The journey had concluded. The driver stated the fare.
WITNESS: He said eighty rupees, yes.
CHAIR: You had a UPI application installed and active on your phone.
WITNESS: I did.
CHAIR: The QR code was visible on the driver's dashboard.
WITNESS: It was visible, yes.
CHAIR: And yet the record shows you initiated a search of your bag for exact change.
WITNESS: That's correct.
CHAIR: Can you explain this?
WITNESS: I had eighty rupees. I was fairly sure. It seemed simpler.
CHAIR: Simpler than scanning a QR code.
WITNESS: Settlement with exact change feels complete. When you pay with UPI there's a notification, a confirmation, sometimes the driver checks his phone. Coins are just over.
CHAIR: The governing rule in this context: passengers may search for exact change even when digital payment is available, because the physical transaction feels more final.
WITNESS: I wouldn't use those words. But yes.
CHAIR: How long did the search take?
WITNESS: Perhaps twenty-five seconds.
CHAIR: Would the QR code have taken longer?
WITNESS: No.
CHAIR: And yet you searched.
WITNESS: I found the eighty rupees. Right at the bottom, under a charger cable. It was exactly right.
CHAIR: You found them satisfying to produce.
WITNESS: (pause) Yes.
CHAIR: This hearing notes that the behavior has been repeated across multiple journeys and is classified as stable. No corrective action is recommended. The witness is free to leave. Please scan the QR code on your way out.
WITNESS: I have exact change for that too.
Hearing adjourned.