I just haggled with an auto rickshaw driver (aka "auto," aka "rickshaw," aka "rick"), and that's a landmark moment for me in terms of living in India. Autos are the equivalent of taxis here - three-wheeled over-grown motorcycles, with a back seat and a roof. They're bright yellow, they're everywhere, they have no shocks, they belch diesel exhaust - and I think they're kind of charming. Things that this required on my part:
- A mannerism that showed I knew what I was doing
- A knowledge of where I was starting from, i.e. where I was catching the auto
- The ability to communicate my destination
- A good feel for the fair price of an auto, and what makes a reasonable tip
We settled on $1.53. That's still a little high and I wanted to take him down to $1.27. But I was just elated that I was able to get a ride home, and at a fair price, so I let it slide. I also figured he deserved a little extra because 1) it's a long ride, which hurts his ability to catch the next fare, 2) it's late at night, and he didn't try to charge me double or 1.5x, which can happen, and 3) he instantly knew where I lived. I feel like I'm getting it.
Lots of excitement may be coming up. I might run off to the Maldives next weekend, and then Goa (India) the weekend after that.
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