Auto rickshaws

So let me tell you about these auto rickshaws. Auto rickshaws are awesome. There are these small, three wheeled vehicles with a two-stroked engine that are used as taxis. They are so fucking cool and I want one sooooooo badly. I need to get one, it just needs to happen. It would be so fun to throw a kit on that bitch and blaze around SF.

So let me tell you about these auto rickshaw drivers. They are the most crooked people ever. They will try to rip you off every time. There are no meters; you have to negotiate a price with them beforehand, and being a foreigner you will stay pay twice as much as normal even after haggling with them. If you forget to set a price beforehand, they will completely rip you off when you get to your destination.

Also, even if you set a price beforehand, when you get to your destination they will try to convince you that you negotiated a different price. Twice now, I agreed on 20 rupees to get from the bus station to my house, and they tried to convince me later that we had agreed on 30 rupees. Keep in mind that the people who live here pay 10 rupees for the distance. Okay, granted that I’m talking about a 25 cent difference here, but I just hate seeing these crooks get their way. I have learned that you have to have the exact amount or they’ll keep more of your change than you bargained for.

Another thing; in Chennai they have commission deals with certain stores, so they will take you to some random store instead of your destination, and they will tell you to go inside and take a look. “Just take a look. Just three minutes. Just take a look. Looking is free.” They will go on and on and on and won’t shut the fuck up, and you have to just yell at them that there’s absolutely no way you’re going in.