Conning the Con Artist

I pay white people prices in India. It is not a secret. My dayglow skin, big curly "blond" hair, and inability to speak any of India's 100+ native languages ensures a markup on every single purchase.  From food to housing to clothing, my wallet bleeds rupees.

Most westerners can easily afford an extra $0.05 for a cup of cardamom tea or $3 for a silk shirt.  With a conversion rate of 55 INR to the dollar, a 200 rupee premium is less than a small black Dunkin' Donuts coffee.  In exchange for my complicit role as "sugar daddy" I receive a big teethy smile from the store owner and a masala infused "Thank you, Madam." Priceless.

Generally, negotiations lead to a fair gringo premium, perhaps 1.5-2x. Well...in most circumstances. There is one major exception...autorickshaw rides. The adorably cute yellow bubbly vehicles are fitting for Teletubbies or Jim Hensen's Doozers from Fraggle Rock.

Do not be fooled by the LegoLand design. Negotiating with an autorickshaw driver is war. . . a war that I am determined to win.

I am on to their tactics. "Shock and awe" then "barricade." Normally, drivers approach target customers at full speed only to stop within 3 to10 inches of their bodies. Physically touching the customer with the car or barricading her path is ideal but not always feasible.  When sidewalks get in the way, drivers trail for blocks while honking and yelling "Ride, Madam?"

If a customer actually needs a ride, new weapons deploy - entrapment and gouging.  An aggressive driver will offer a tempting price, say 30 rupees. Once the offer is accepted, you'll be rapidly whisked 2-3 kilometeres out of your way to the driver's cousin's marble statue store, where you'll be forced to look at their wares before continuing on to your final destination. Note that the rickshaw cannot even carry a stone statue, so the exercise is absurd from the start. It is one thing to take advantage of a captive market. It is quite another to kidnap your customer. Suspiciously affordable rides may lead to near term financial gains, but are not worth the anxiety and time delays. Don't take the bait.

After running the rickshaw gauntlet numerous time, I have developed my own counter-offensive. First, plan in advance. Take a screen shot of your destination and current location using the iPhone Google Map application, when you are near wireless internet to minimize your international data plan consumption.  Ensure your current location and destination are marked and on the same screen.

Second - propose a price to the driver before he can propose one to you. You create the pricing anchor. When he rejects it and offers 10x more, pull out the image on your iPhone of the map that shows that you know where you are going.  You'll probably end up somewhere in between the two prices but very far from the normal white person premium

Third - Before you get in the car, look the driver in the eye and say "no shopping." If he blinks, do not get in unless you love statues and want to meet local store owners.