Negotiating for Tuk Tuk Fares

Getting around in cities in Southeast Asia has been a trial. Almost every time we need to go somewhere we have to negotiate with a tuk tuk driver. They over-charge, tell you they know where you want go, and then want you to pay for the time they took driving around town when it turned out they didn't actually know.

Tonight we were lucky when the hotel provided a tuk tuk to take us to the city center and we appreciated it very much. We found a place for dinner, bought some t-shirts, arranged a tour, and found some snacks for bedtime.

When we were ready to come back to the hotel we found a tuk tuk and showed him the hotel's business card and asked him if he knew where it was. He actually admitted that he didn't. Wow! I was grateful but I almost couldn't believe my ears. It has been our experience that even if they don't know tuk tuk drivers will say that they do and just start driving. To hear him say that he didn't know really surprised me. I almost regained a little faith in tuk tuk drivers.

We found another tuk tuk driver and showed him the hotel's card. He was older and said his eyes were too bad and couldn't read the card. He asked a 2nd driver to read the card. The 2nd driver said his eyes were also too bad and together #1 and #2 asked a 3rd, younger driver. #3 knew where it was and explained it to driver #1 who looked over our family of six and immediately said, "$4." I countered with $2. He countered with $3 and I stayed firm at $2. He agreed to $2 and smiled as he invited us to climb into his tuk tuk. I thought I had won but looking back on it his smile indicated that he thought he had won. Next time I'm going for $1.

I congratulated myself on the victory but I absolutely hate the thought that he would have let me pay $4 if I hadn't been so firm at $2. The fact that he agreed to $2 and smiled about it made me think that I still overpaid. I absolutely hate, hate, hate the win-lose negotiating game. Just offer me a fair fare the first time and let's not play these silly games. I realize that you need to make a living but you don't need to make it all on me on this one fare. I know it is only $1 or $2 but it's the principle of the thing that matters ;-).