Tripti Nath/New Delhi

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent visit to Delhi was made unforgettable by a thrilling auto ride he got from a senior American diplomat Ann Mason posted in the embassy here. Ann bought a Bajaj auto, petrol version in January 2021 for 2,500 US dollars and named it KITT after Knight Rider, a popular  AmericanTV show in the 80s on an artificial intelligence car.

Ann Mason's confident auto rides made her other women colleagues also comfortable with the idea of buying auto-rickshaws from the same dealer.

The U.S. embassy in India put out a delightful tweet of the autocade as it arrived at the United States Mission in India. The video which attracted 436 K views showed Ann Mason, the Trade and Technology unit chief riding an auto with an American and an Indian flag on each side of her black auto. The video also captured a cavalcade of four uniquely coloured auto-rickshaws, black, pink, blue and white besides yellow and black 

This charming diplomat’s brief assurance to Secretary Blinken, “I am a very safe driver Sir.’’ is something that will always remain etched on the minds and hearts of anybody who watched the video. Appearing rather comfortable in the auto with Sanjeev Choudhary, the longest serving locally employed staff member at U.S. embassy, Secretary Blinken replied, “ We are in your hands.’’

Before alighting from the auto, Secretary Blinken asked, “You get pretty good mileage?” and then thanked Mason.

Who says official motorcades have to be boring? Watch @SecBlinken cruise in style with the longest-serving locally employed staff at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. Our famous #AutoGang 🛺 and their signature "autocade" followed close behind. What an entrance! pic.twitter.com/KbhZPybLy8

— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) March 3, 2023

This super friendly and humble 52 year-old diplomat makes heads turn every morning and evening in a South Delhi locality as she rides out of her house and back in the auto, She parks it, shuts the gate and drives to the embassy. In a neighbourhood full of chauffeur-driven sedans and SUVs like Rolls Royce, Mercedes Maybach, BMW, Audis, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Bentley, Mahindra andFord EcoSport,  her modest auto ranks low on the prosperity index.

One such day when the unmissable Ann mostly dressed in black, was shutting the main gate, I could not resist asking her more about herself and the auto which has a 77 CD number plate. Ann took me out for an evening auto ride. It was a memorable spin from her house to the diplomatic enclave with great music, “We will, we will rock you.’’

Pointing to the string curtain in her auto, Ann said, “When you open this, you are really exposed. Street children try to touch you. We have been around India Gate a couple of times with friends.’’

She finds riding the auto very liberating and says, “You want to try Delhi roads. You got to get on them.’

So, how did she decide to buy an auto-rickshaw? To this, Ann says, "When I was posted in Pakistan before coming to Inda, I would look at the auto-rickshaws going by, I always wanted to be in the auto-rickshaw. So, when I got to India and had the opportunity to buy one, I took it immediately.''

Ann who has an infectious laughter also happily answered questions in her home about her childhood, her personal and professional life and her auto-rickshaw. She feels sad that women drivers in India are looked down upon. At the same time, Ann wishes that hotels and shopping malls in New Delhi would allow autos to pull up at the entrance.

Ann Mason with her auto

“It takes me ten minutes to reach the embassy,“’ says Ann who has been driving the auto for two-and-a-half years. She has customized the black autorickshaw with a fan, a fire extinguisher, a glove box, a mobile holder, a nice curtain, a locked compartment for her belongings. and a first aid kit. Her two daughters, Darby and Jordan, are in their early twenties.

Darby realizes that it is super cool to drive her mother’s auto and uses it almost every day. She told me that sometimes she goes on the highway. She loves going past illuminated government buildings especially the Parliament.

Ann has had varied experiences on Delhi roads. “Road users here tend to make their own lanes. Seeing me driving, they tend to be polite. Sometimes, I find that they are trying to make a video of me.''

So, how does this Michigan-born lady navigate New Delhi’s notorious traffic. “I try to keep my eyes on the road and stick to my lane. There are rickshaw drivers who stop to ask if I need anything. I have also been on the highway. I have a terrible sense of direction. I use Google App for directions. ‘’

This French and Arabic speaking diplomat has had very exciting postings. Her first posting was in France.

Ann had her firstborn before she took the foreign service examination. Ann says,“I went into the foreign service with two babies, two years apart.’’

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After a six-week training in Washington D.C, Ann was posted in Paris. She has served in Latvia, Iraq, Oman and Pakistan.  She has been posted in New Delhi for almost four years,She says, “It is a hard life but I really love my job. The kids have to move every three to four years. The hardest question you ask a foreign service child is where they are from. I would love my children to find work which really feeds their soul and makes them happy.''