My Moto Exploits

By now, I'm quite a pro at taking moto-taxis.  I've successfully argued my way out of paying too much on several separate occasions in which the driver was trying to take advantage of a seemingly-naïve muzungu. 

Not so! 

I daresay if you try to make me pay more than 300 frw, I'll bite your head off!  Just kidding.  The best one was in Kigali.  Now, this time the joke is really on the driver because he really could have ripped me off good and I would have had no idea.  So I was at a bank after having yet again tried and failed to find a place that will cash traveler's checks.  Long story short – there are no banks in Rwanda that accept them.  Good.  Anyways, I needed to go to this bookstore next, and since I don't know my way around Kigali I just flagged down a moto, told him where I wanted to go, and agreed to pay the 300 frw that he quoted me.  Well, silly me, the bookstore was seriously a block away.  It was just around the corner and about 200m down the street.  I felt really stupid, but how could I have known?  But this driver, honestly, why he didn't drive me around in a couple circles and bring me there I'll never know.  I would have paid him the 300, thinking it was a fair price for such a long distance.  And since I have the worst sense of direction in the world, I would not have realized he'd ripped me off.  So, this guy actually just drove me down the road and let me off.  Here is the conversation that followed (which was in French actually):

me: eh!  We're here already!  I am not paying 300 frw for that!  Maybe 100 frw, but since you only drove me down the road I will not give you 300 frw.

driver: (smiles and laughs.  He seemed to be a real light-hearted guy).  No no, that's too small an amount of money.

me: that was too small of a distance! (rummaging through purse) And I see that I don't have 100 frw.  Here's 50.  Take your 50.

driver: (laughs at my response.  Also another moto comes up beside us to listen to the debate and see if he can recuperate some business from an unsatisfied customer.  Another bystander stopped to watch and listen as well.)  No really, it is not enough!

me: Nuh uh, you cheated me!  You drove me just down the road and you tell me its 300 frw!  That's not right.  Take your 50.  (all the while I was also laughing too.  It was kind of a friendly chuckling debate, but I was determined.)

driver: it’s a lift, it's a lift.

me: I know, it was a very short lift!  Here, take your 50 frw.

driver: no no, it’s a lift.

me: aaah, you mean its free?

driver: yes, its free.

me:  ah, ok.  That's good.  Thanks, have a nice day.

Since this incident, I've been able to put into practice these debate tactics, and have never paid more than the fair price of 300 frw from home into town!  

Just today somebody tried to charge me 400 frw but accepted 300 frw, and even told me along the way that when they see a white person, they up the price because they assume we don't know what the normal price should be.  But me, hah!  I know!  I argued with another guy for several minutes before getting on, and he wouldn't back down from 400 frw, but he said to get on and we'll negotiate later.  Hmm…well along the way we were riding right next to one of his moto buddies, and I asked his friend "He tells me its 400 frw – isn't he cheating me?"  And his friend said "You son of a bitch, its 300!"  (they spoke good English)   Wow.    Bold.   

Actually, he was joking and we were all laughing quite a lot the whole ride.  I should probably mention that the 100 frw difference is equal to about 20 cents.  So really its not worth all this trouble. 

But I just enjoy the fun I have in weaseling my way to a fair price the satisfaction of winning the debate!