Rabbit Meter India Tuk-Tuk
This is a meter for a tuk-tuk in India. Almost all tuk-tuks have them. Almost no tuk-tuks use them. There are 4 steps to getting a good deal on a tuk-tuk ride in India. First tell the driver where you want to go and see if he even remotely appears to understand where it is you want to wind up. If he doesn’t, find another tuk-tuk or really bad things could happen. Second, ask the price. Third, offer him half of what he is asking. Stand there for a while listening to him whine, cajole and try to negotiate with you. Stand firm in your price. Do not waver. Fourth, start walking away after he gets even reasonably close to your price. If you are really feeling generous or absolutely need the ride right now, offer him 60-70% of what he asks. The trick is in walking away and starting to look for another tuk-tuk. You have to really mean it when you do it. The competition for premium-paying riders, or tourists, in India is tremendous. Even at 50% of his asking price, I’m paying a lot more than an Indian would pay. He’s getting a good deal. I’m getting a good deal. Unfortunately, he’ll wind up not liking me because I wouldn’t pay an overly-inflated price. I’ll feel bad that I haven’t allowed another local to take advantage of me, but at least he’ll respect me in the morning.
