A Rickshaw Ride

Sometimes I forget that my every day life isn't so normal. I forgot to post something like this when I first came, and after a short while I didn't think about posting "normal" things. I live in a big city, and if I want to go somewhere in the city, I have to either (1) walk (2) ride the overcrowded bus that I don't know the routes because the script on the bus is not in English or in the language I'm learning (3) ride my bike or (4) take a rickshaw.

To catch an auto, first you must stand at the road and stick out your right hand. Palm facing down, bend your fingers towards towards your palm. If an auto is empty, and wants a customer, the driver will pull up beside you. You tell him where you want to go, and if you're lucky, he'll want to take you. If you're even luckier, when settling on a price, he'll be honest. If you're the luckiest, he'll just go by meter...that is if he hasn't tampered with the meter to make it go to fast, therefore, making the price too costly. Did I mention that 'meter' is the law?

Somedays, finding an auto that will go and won't cheat you is impossible. Somedays, the first one that pulls up is your man. You have to choose your limits. Will you give in and just be cheated? Will you yell? Will you just walk (even if it's 3 miles to where you want to go)? Will you tell the man you know that he's cheating you, that he's a liar? Will you cry?

I'll admit, I've responded in all of these ways. Sometimes my response isn't always the best response, but I'm learning to live here, and I'm very thankful for grace.

Sometimes, when you're riding in an auto and you pull up to a stoplight, the auto might turn off the engine (supposedly to save gas). Sometimes, drivers know how long the light is and will get out and go to the store to get some beedis (like cigarettes), or candy, or a newspaper, or whatever, or to go pee on the sidewalk.

One thing that's for sure....no two rides are the same. Sometimes you see really fun things like kids going home from school or people working or camels or people carrying strange things on their motorcycles. Guaranteed is the bumpyness (I think I made that word up) and your level of pollution intake.