2016 Oct 3
All hail India for the only two important things they provided us with; Indian food and Tuk-tuks! We all know that tuk-tuks are the one thing we can and can’t live without. If you tell me you haven’t gone in a tuk, ever, chances are you are lying to me 100%.
Okay, now we’ve established that most of us do use tuks in our everyday life. For the love of tuks, we came up with some everyday tuk-tuk hacks you can use the next time you get into one. The tuk-tuk uncles ain’t going to appreciate this article all that much but you are! You can thank us later.
1. Meter, da Boss?
This is something I realized something my friend always did before he got into a tuk. It was literally like a prayer before stepping into a tuk. He would go “Meter da boss?” and only when the driver said yes we’d get in. This is when I realized. There’s some tuks with the “Meter Taxi” sticker carefully placed on the top of their windshield or at the back of its roof, but sometimes, they haven’t switched it on/it’s broken/they had to take it off etc. Sadly most of us face this problem only when they ask for unreasonable fares at the end of the ride. And then, we have to spend over five minutes explaining to the driver how we take the exact same route every day and usually how its half the price, but fail miserably and are left with no option but pay the money he demands and walk away silently, swearing we’d be more careful the next time we get in.
So the next time you get in, always ask the driver “Meter da?” and then if he says yes, only step in. You’ll save yourself a lot of trouble.
2. Know thy route
Alright, I speak for most of the girls, and some of the boys here. What is the one reason why your mom is/was hell bent on not sending you on a tuk alone? Yes, sexual assault. The odds of this happening are really quite slim, but you know parents. Honestly though, some of us girls do really freak out if it’s in the evening or night and if we’re on a silent road. This is why man invented GPS and Google came up with Google Maps. Psychologically it’s said that those that are likely to attack us makes their move the minute they smell fear and uncertainty. (Actually, I just made that up. But it does seem quite legit. If there is a study that proves this, do comment below!)
We need to know our routes. This can be an economical-save as well. The other day, I took a tuk from Rajagiriya to Nugegoda and the driver took a completely different route. I had no idea where he was taking me so I decided to locate myself on Google Maps anyway, only to realize he was taking this completely different longer route to get to my destination. What a rip-off!
3. Cheaper than Sunil Uncle
This tuk driver has officially become a family member. You didn’t even know who he was when you first met him but suddenly now five years down the line, you call him uncle and you need him to go anywhere and everywhere. Scandalous! Now let me let you in a little secret. Sunil Uncle is a rip-off. There, I said it. Sunil Uncle could be the nicest, loveliest man who’s been your unofficial driver for years, but he’s not the economical choice.
Why I say this? I’m glad you asked. See, Sunil Uncle knows he’s going to get his share of money either way. If it takes you about Rs.300/= to get from Thimbirigasyaya to Town Hall, chances are Sunil uncle probably takes twice the amount or at least Rs.450/= or so. This ‘family driver’ has nothing to lose because he knows he’s the only guy the family is going to trust not to sexually assault their daughter, although what they don’t know is that he’s been having eyes for her since she wore that really tight dress a couple of months ago, when he dropped her off to a dinner. For all the parents reading this, I hit that ‘alert’ button in you didn’t I?
But no really, I think it’s high time you decided for yourself.
4. Get picked up by PickMe
As of now, the minimum fare and the price for the first kilometer costs Rs. 60 when you travel in a PickMe. After 1 kilometer, the per kilometer rate is Rs. 33. So travelling in a PickMe is quite advisable, especially if you’re travelling a bit of a distance. Plus with their SOS feature, your safety is somewhat assured (Amma’s don’t worry too much!)
Wrapping up, we all know a couple of tuk-tuk hacks ain’t gonna hurt nobody (Maybe only Sunil uncle’s monthly pay, but really that’s about it). Comment below if you have more to add! Happy Tuk-Tuking!
Disclaimer: None of the afore mentioned Taxi Hailing companies have invested in this article. This article is purely for the purpose of information for our valued readers.
