M THE DRIVER AND THE HARD BARGAIN
Travellers, beware of the tourist-town hustler’s motto
Y son and I were in Diani on the south coast of Kenya for the holidays. Diani to me means relaxed rides on canopied, three-seater motorbikes, commonly known as tuk-tuks. There is something about this mode of transport that seems to capture the laid-back spirit of Diani so well. In fact, seeing a picture of one can make me relax. But on this trip, I encountered a driver who made me do the opposite.
We met Bonface when we were in a rush — and I think he realised that. Hence, he wanted to charge twice what I’d paid for the same trip before. But we had promised to meet a friend at a certain time so I grudgingly paid as he was the only rider I had seen.
When I left my meeting place with the friend, there was still no one around and I was now off to another engagement. Businesssavvy Bonface had handed me his business card and I had no choice but to once again pay his astronomical fee.
Of course, I tried to cut him down when I got to my destination but I was negotiating from the back foot. He smiled and said the extra charge was for a “New Year’s cold drink”. Bonface had employed the tourist-town hustler’s motto on me: “Make ’em pay the maximum possible, they may be leaving tomorrow.”
That was not the last time I would encounter Bonface but that was the last time I would pay for his services. As I paid him — begrudgingly — that last time, I hoped he would live to regret overcharging me
I do not think Bonface had reckoned I might encounter another tuk-tuk driver so different from him that I would become a loyal customer. But I did.
The very next day, while on my way to a supermarket, I stopped another fellow and his tuk-tuk on the road. On arrival at our destination, he asked me for a third of what Bonface had charged. I had to ask him to repeat the amount. After Bonface’s price, it sounded too low.
Then he offered to wait for me to take me back after my shopping. The new driver — “my name is JJ” (full name Juma Juma) — was a font of information on places to go, things to do and the history of Ukunda. And I got all this for one-third of Bonface’s price.
A day before my departure, I encountered Bonface again. I don’t think he remembered me. With most tourists now gone, he offered my son and me a ride back to our residence, this time only charging us twice what JJ had been charging.
I gave him JJ’s price. “But madam,” he said with his usual refrain, “how about the extra for a New Year cold drink?”
“Bonface,” I replied, “how about you give me that extra and I buy a New Year cold drink for my son?”
I was on holiday. I was in no rush. I called JJ. — © Zukiswa Wanner
Make ’em pay the maximum possible,
they may be leaving tomorrow