So, i just got back to Laurel's office from Khan market. We went for lunch because she had an hour break. The auto ride over there was 20 rupees, it's barely a five minute ride. We ate lunch and then i looked around for a while, but i started to feel quite ill - the lunch wasn't sitting well. So i decided to take an auto back to Laurel's office. I hailed one down and he said sure! 20 rupees is fine. And he told me he knew where it was.
So i get in, he starts talking to me. Then i realized that all his rearview mirrors that are supposed to be aiding his driving are all pointed towards me, and he is driving in a different way than i came to the market. I asked him where he was going and he replied with a broken 'oh, it's a short cut' or something along those lines. 20 minutes later i ask again. We're on the complete other side of town in a dodgy alley way. He turns around and says to me 'i have to go run an errand. I will be back in 10 minutes' all the while there are about 10 men approaching the auto. I start yelling at him to take me to where i wanted to go, he proceeds in yelling back at me telling me that he'll only be a little while. So i started crying. and then he said 'OKAY FINE! I'LL TAKE YYOU TO JOR BAGH!(which was where i wanted to go in the first place)BUT I'M ONLY GETTING BACK IN IF YOU PAY ME 60 RUPEES" I am close to hysterics by this point to i relent and agree, much to my chagrin. so we drive another 25 minutes, half way through he turns around and says 'are you mad?' i reply with 'what the hell do you think?! of course i am mad! You're ripping me off, this should have been a five minute ride, and i've been in your stupid rickshaw for 45.' and we get three blocks away from the office. I said to him, 'keep driving, it's another three blocks.' and he turns around and said 'no, get out.' I suspect he figured out i was going to the UNHCR building and knew that there were a bunch of security guards outside that would hear me yelling at him. He snatched my 50Rs bill out of my hand and drove away, and i yelled 'that is absolutely rediculous. bad karma' He drove away and i proceeded to break into tears and run into the office into the kind arms of laurel's friends Swasti and Sasha.
They said 'welcome to india'
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2 comments:
Lainie! I'm so glad you got out of the cab alive! THHHAAANKKKK GOD! stupid men in india... maybe you'll meet a beautiful man who takes care of elephants all day and then you can ride them. I MISS YOUUUU!
Raphie
If I had been there I would have beaten the man over the head with a dead raccoon and demanded 600 monies!
i miss you darling, and i hope the rest of your trip is empty of experiences like this one.
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