Gujarat now has metered autos, and its a conversation point for returning NRIs (Non-resident Indians). I met one who said that at first he hadn't considered getting an auto, due to the hassle of haggling, but was pleased to hear about the meters. So its not just me! (And on passing the police station they had a couple of autos in their pound, so the long arm is to be feared). Of course in classic Indian style its not entirely simple, the meters are repurposed mechanical meters which don't have enough digits, and so a look up table is used to convert the number into a price... still what comes out isn't unreasonable, if slightly mysterious.
Enter auto tout number one. I used the word meter, which despite the lack of English in this mostly Gujarati/Hindi speaking state, auto drivers understand. But no, on sitting down he says 100 rupees. I get up to leave, he says, "oh no no, 70 Rupees". I grab my bags and get out of his auto. His final offer as I walk away was Rs50, but hes not a man I wan't to give anything. I should point out hes in a line of about 20 parked autos, if you are going to try and rip someone off this isn't the place to do it. Walking down the line saying "meter" until a crowd of auto drivers agree which driver is first and I get in. I do hope that the reputation of tourists as soft targets is ever so slightly altered.
The honest (or at least very limited in his dishonesty) auto driver looks up the reading from the book and says Rs42.50. I give him Rs50. He's suprised (possibly because he added Rs5 himself) after my aggressive hunt for a metered auto, I think I managed to convince him it was a tip... but then again my gesture could equally have been interpreted as dismissive. So maybe I'm a difficult bastard, but I think I have distilled my thoughts for others -
Be generous to the people who don't try and rip you off. Ok ok that sounds pretentious and its trying too hard to fix an unfair universe
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