Flowery meter tuk
Meters have made the trishaws that use them affordable. Unfortunately, most of the drivers they’ve hired barely know left from right, but if you know the roads that’s OK. Lately I’ve been calling 772588588 and they send a three wheeler to the house. There are guys on the corner but, as nice as they are, they tend to rip one off. These meter guys are excellent for day trips. Today, for example, I went to Maharagama to pick up tax forms, Nugegoda Arpico, Fifth Lane (Colpetty), Liberty Plaza, then back to Dehiwela. With about two hours of waiting, the bill was around Rs. 1,100. Which is really not bad at all. If you get three wheelers off the street it’s like minimum Rs. 200 for each trip. With the meter tuk it’s Rs. 50 to get in and then some small amount per kilometre.
The only downside, is that the drivers are rather dumb. For some I seriously have to yell ‘wamata wamata’ and they’re still turning right. One fellow tried to answer his phone and stalled out in the middle of the road. None of them seems to know their way around the city at all. You have to give directions to Colpetty for example. One side benefit of getting ripped off by three wheeler drivers is that they teach you new routes through the city. The downside of using a meter tuk is that you essentially have to teach these routes to the new guys.
Generally, though, I think it’s a plus. I’m resting the car (which recently escaped from Mag City) before getting a service, so meter tuks kinda fill the gap.
I hate three wheelers I wish they all spontaneously combusted.
The other option is to cultivate one or two three wheeler guys who you know are trustworthy. We use one guy who is very good about not ripping us off and whenever we need to go anywhere, we just call him. And if he’s not available, he sends one of his buddies who’s known to him. Since the second guy knows the first guy, he usually just says “Pay what you pay the first guy” and that has worked out OK for us so far. Plus, of course, we don’t change trishaws. We take the same guy for the whole day if necessary. There’s waiting involved and they do charge for the waiting but it all evens out in the end. For instance, our guy doesn’t charge us double the rate if we go somewhere and come back with him – since he’s got to come back anyway after dropping us off, he charges us a lesser rate for the trip back.
Of course, I realize that the issue is finding somebody that you can trust :)
Life is driven by survival, an instinct we have inherited from before getting down from the trees. In human terms, survival means making money, most of the time.
In one end of the spectrum, making money is about making the maximum out of the present moment, and not worry too much about the future. A good example is, rather was, those belt sellers in Petta who will offer you a belt for 20 rupees, then punch 10 holes without asking and charge 20 more PER HOLE. They know that it is the first and the last such business for any customer, but there was a sufficient flow of new victims, so they didn’t seem to worry too much about future business for a single customer.
On the other end of the spectrum are those businessmen who think about return customers. They care too much about branding, customer care, after sales and all that. Even more than big names, Muslims seem to have mastered this art. Complain about bad food, they will replace or refund cash, no questions asked.
Same goes for Tuk tuks. Drivers are driven by either the moment, or future, or a selective combination of both.
When there are no meters, the present-moment guys will try to rip you off asking for the highest possible amount after judging you, while others will quote less hoping you will hire him again. Both are driven by business reasons than moral reasons. More money is what they are after, difference is about when.
Same goes for meter tuks. The ones thinking about the moment will try to act dumb and try to take a longer road to make maximum out of a single trip, while others will try to do a decent job and expect future business. The latter group is also concerned about the reputation of the meter taxi system as a whole. Again, it’s a matter of business than morality.
In most cases, the drivers tend to think futuristic for regular, or potential regular customers, while try to rip off others. I normally take down the phone numbers of those who give me a good deal and call them, which seems to be ok most of the time.
All very well for you to say Dodo, but some of us are compelled to use them sometimes.
True, they’re an assault on the senses (and your bottom, when the road is bumpy) but they’re the easiest way for short distances from A to B within the city, especially when parking is restricted, and it’s too hot to walk.
Tuk-tuk drivers must also be the worst on the road after bus drivers, and a major cause of rage and stress, but they’re the first to offer help when you have a flat tyre.
I didn’t know you could call for metered ones. My rule of thumb is, fat, bearded or smiling drivers always charge more. Thin, clean shaven, neatly dressed drivers are reasonable. Believe me, it works.
So Indi’s driver wasn’t dumb, but just trying to rip him off by taking a longer route!
I use the metered tuks a lot Indi, and I find them cheaper and nicer to deal with. Quite a number of those are travel with are not from the city metropolis, so they dont know the by roads. I don’t blame them. I won’t know landmarks in their towns. Some of them have magazines to read too
Well i hate them. When i was in school taking the bus they honked away incessant and tried to run me over as I cross the road. And these bastards were the least bit concerned about splashing mud all over me because of thier love affair with pot holes.
Now when i drive they are like gadflies swirling all around me. When ever you stop at a traffic light they come from all over the place line up infront of you. Then try to do their little drag race at 20 kmph, which means I’m stuck behind a wall of three wheelers. And they never use signal lights or any thing like, some these morons install flood lights on their roof and try to blind people. I’m sure 50% of the traffic in Sri lanka has to do with three wheelers and bikes.
And to mention how environmentally friendly that two stroke engine really is. And I’m sure people would get far more exercise if we burn all the three wheelers.
Once I calld meter trishaw guys in very early mornin but no one picked the phone.
Allmost all trishaw drivers are rowdys or WIP of it! Only known guys seems to be reasonable in price.
When you approach a trishaw guy, he evaluates you by your attire, language, accent etc.. Further he ask more detail about your destination like a dumb to know whether you are familier with it. If you don’t know he will charge high.
Indi; why don’t you experiance with pettah sellers like belt, perfume, spacs or dress. You will end up writing long posts for sure.
The government must fix meters on the foreheads of those bloody palm readers.
Used meter taxis (there are two or three companies now – SL market imitation strikes again) and have never had a problem with them not knowing the roads. However, I do notice they do less maniacal driving and are overall easy to deal with. However, they won’t do short distances, (hence why they ask your origin and destination when you call) and when you flag one of them down you have to ask them to start the meter or they won’t (that’s your problem really).
Right, lets burn the lot and ask those peasants who don’t have four wheels to get some exercise or an electric car.
I’m constantly the passenger of an otherwise very calm person who flies into a rage at the slightest provocation from a trishaw driver. After two near disastrous incidents I’ve devised a neat way to avoid any trouble. Now we’re all safe.
palmreaders?
@shammi
yes
last week
galle face green
2 people
had 2 give her 350
we thought it’d be fun.
I’m with dodo on this. I fucking hate 3 wheelers.
Read Cheiro’s ‘Language of the hand’. You can read your own palm and anybody else’s after that. I do. People tell me I’m quite accurate. But don’t ever start to read palms at gatherings of any sort, you’ll never get to have your dinner.
Come on shammi, Three wheelers aren’t a luxury thing. But it’s certainly not a lower middle class thing as well.
They are way too expensive for normal middle class people to use all the time.
I just remembered, I once read the palm of a friend who was clearly destined to be a murderer ( according to Cheiro), later became a journalist and even worked for the Leader. We’re not in touch now, but I see his byline on another paper regularly. I should call and find out if I’ve been proved infallible yet.
I’m quite middle class and I need them when I take the train, to get to my destination from the railway station. Buses are torture, and I never take one if I can possibly help it. I’ll own tuk tuks evil, but necessary.
@shammi
I’ve read that book, studied it, and found palmistry to be total bullshit.
Our intention wasn’t to learn our future, but to just have some fun.
“Nona nam harima pin paatai.”
“Mahatthayanam gal aanda”
You’ve read it? I’ve seen only one person with that mark of the murderer, a single line to represent the heart and the head. Wish I could check some palms on death row to see if it’s true. It won’t appear on anyone just commiting homicide, or I could have checked out some soldiers who’ve seen action.
It may be a load of bull but it can be great fun. Anyway, your palmist seems to have got it right.
@shammi
It’s trick. First, most women actually believe such bullshit like palmistry, astrology and religion (I understand this is a sexist statement. But I don’t give damn as long as it’s true). My girlfriend doesn’t really believe palmistry, but would love it if it is true. Secondly, women like to be flattered. So when a palmist flatters your wife or girlfriend or friend with benefits, you are f**ked.
Oh, and most men like to be called a gal aanda. That’s a trick to. It also makes the girl laugh.
I’ve always wondered why, despite their clairvoyance, astrologist types aren’t ruling the world. Think about it, these people have at their disposal one of the greatest conceivable powers. Yet they even the best of these people rarely get beyond the middle income bracket.
I think true clairvoyants can’t choose what they see (this is just stuff I’ve read about). They couldn’t predict the winning number of a lottery for instance. They merely have flashes of impending events or see symbols that they can interpret. I think it’s entirely possible that they may posess some freak sense that we don’t know about.
Astrologers seem like total humbugs to me and palmistry is an amusing recreation.
Men don’t like to be flattered?Ha, Ha!
Men don’t believe in astrology? 99% of the Buddhist men I know believe in astrology. Just look at all our politicians.
Most Buddhists have their charts read regularly. I don’t know many Hindus.
Most Christian men I know are religious, more than I ever was.
@Dodo
Our palmist had her hair permed (is that the word?). It takes about 5000, 6000 to do that.
@Shammi
Have I said men don’t like to be flattered, or that men don’t believe in astrology, palmistry and religion?
Just like everything else, they too were created by men, not women. And many men believe such bull crap. But I think, generally, women tend to believe those things more than men do. Go to a buddhist temple on a Poya Day for evidence.
Of course men like to be flattered. I just said women like to be flattered.
@shammi
Please don’t think that I’m saying women are stupid. Believing in bull crap has nothing to do with low intelligence. Blaise Pascal was a far, far brilliant man than I’ll ever be, and yet he ate bull crap.. Isaac Newton, perhaps the greatest scientist of all time, believed in such bull crap as well.
I like pie.