Here's a picture of the main type of taxi for hire here in Bangalore:
These things are about the size of a golf cart. They are usually powered by LP-gas canisters. They can carry 3 persons in the rear seat with a driver up front. The price for a ride is usually per kilometer travelled and is very reasonable. The problem is that most of the drivers either don't speak ANY english or very little. If they understand where you need to go, they may still take you the long way around to get extra mileage charges. I have to learn my way around so that I can be sure they don't take me for an extra long ride.
I guess because I’m a foreigner and they speak either no English or very little, it seems that I frequently get one of the ones trying to con me in some fashion. Yesterday, my roommate and I left a restaurant to go home in a hired auto-rickshaw. A local Indian friend talked to the driver first to confirm that he knew how to take us home. I realized after a few minutes that he was not going the right way. I complained and he handed me a card from a local gift shop. After about 5 minutes, we determined that what he was trying to tell us was that if he could take us to this gift shop to just look around that they would give him a free new driver’s uniform after he brings them 10 new persons to shop. He offered us free rides home if we just spend 5 minutes looking around in the shop. So we reluctantly gave in and did it. It was actually a nice shop, but it looked too high price to me. SO, we looked around for 5 minutes and left. The driver was still waiting outside and actually kept his word and took us home for free afterwards. Of course he wasn’t exactly sure about the last turn or 2 and we had to still help him with directions.
Each ride turns out to be a new adventure!
GLENN