The Rickshaw

I suppose for me, one of the most fun and yet most frustrating aspects of the trip thus far has been the rickshaws - interacting with and dealing with their drivers... and riding in them :]
The above image shows the standard Indian auto rickshaw, though many of them are green with yellow tops. A standard ride in an auto rickshaw can cost from 10 rupees to 30 rupees - the equivalent of 20 to 60 cents USD. Now, looking at it face value, if you get charged 80 cents for a ride, it's not too bad. BUT. The most frustrating part is when these drivers try to overcharge you or they don't charge fairly because of categorization. Many times, rickshaw drivers assume that you are a) a tourist or b) you have lots of money or c) you're ignorant of what a fair charge would be or d) all of the above. Because we've been traveling in and out throughout india for the last two weeks, well, we pretty much have the rickshaw concept down. My family is quite a bit more relaxed about getting messed with by them. I, on the other hand, find it to be extremely rude and so have coincidentally taken the job of rickshaw business into my own hands. I enjoy getting angry when they refuse to be fair, and then dramatically leave the little auto in search of another. It's helped me learn how to say no, and how to be direct about something. It's fun :]