I get a real kick out of taking the rickshaws. They are a hoot for those of us who are so used to either driving or taking cabs When you're in a rickshaw, you're part of the route--from the traffic congestion, the near miss as the driver zips around a car with only centimeters to spare, to whatever smells are present. I'll go slightly off topic in an effort to be fair, as I'm sure everything is thinking bad smells, but on my ride this morning, on a certain stretch, something smelled so incredibly good. I don't know if a plant was blooming, but there was a beautiful, green, slightly spicy odour that was unlike anything I'd ever had the pleasure to experience. It was truly intoxicating.
Back to my rant, though. As much as I love the rickshaw ride, the drivers are a completely another story. The rickshaws themselves and their meters are quite old, so there is a tariff rate in place so that when the meter says X, people can translate that into today's value. For example, the meter will show five rupees on my trip from my hotel to the office. According to the tariff card (I keep a copy in my purse), I should be charged 64 rupees (about $1.50). The reality is something different and for some reason it's the drivers in the evening who are the problem. My morning ride is an honest one.
My first night, my driver tried to charge me 200. I argued him down to 100. Last night, right off the bat, the driver said 300 and after much back and forth between two people who don't speak the same language and me threatening to get out and find another cab I also got him down to 100. Tonight, the driver took me who knows where, and my 15 minute ride took at least 30 minutes. When I said something to him, he acted like he didn't understand where I needed to go. On the upside, it was a really interesting drive. One of the streets we puttered along was a shopping street in a predominately Muslim neighbourhood. It's Ramadam, so it was hopping as Muslims are fasting during daylight hours and only break their fast after dusk. And since it only cost 30 rupees more than it should have, I'll enjoy it for the experience and refuse to get annoyed.
Last night's driver, Mr. 300 rupees, was just a jerk though. To get to my hotel is very easy, you go by the Infinity Mall and take the next right. But he just didn't want to and I got off at the mall to walk. There was only one small problem. It had been raining all afternoon so I had to make my way around an obstacle course of puddles. This one was the worst. The sidewalk ended and then puddle--a really big, really deep puddle that was wide enough that passing traffic made big splashes. This meant stepping down a foot into mud and skirting around it. By the time I made it to the hotel, my khakis and shoes were in pretty rough shape, but nothing that a good launder and dry mud brushing didn't solve. It was a lovely night for a walk, too, once I turned off the main road onto my street (I have begun to think of it as my neighbourhood). My favourite stray dog wandered over to say hello. I'd bought some cookies that I didn't like so I've been feeding them to her (the truth is, I'm on to my second packet) and carry a couple when I know I will be walking by where she hangs out. Now she comes, check out if I have anything for her and then goes back to snoozing if I don't. I don't pet her because they can carry rabies, but I like that she recognizes me. Even the people who work in the shop and restaurants don't stare at me anymore, which is nice. That felt kind of strange in the beginning and I'm glad it's not an issue any more.
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