Old Habits Die Hard
Couldn't pass this one up, from the Times of India (Mumbai):
Two Indian hotel owners in the United States were arrested for allegedly ripping-off victims of Hurricane Katrina who had come in search of shelter. In true Indian airport tout form, these two guys inflated their prices because they knew people had no other choice. The worst case was when one victim signed a hotel bill for $1,089 and then ended up with a credit card charge for three times that amount. There wasn't even an itemized listing on the bill.
Being a foreigner in this country, you begin to get the idea that everyone is trying to rip you off. It is true to a point, especially in the big cities, but I don't want everyone to think that it happens all the time. Personally, i'm sick of people trying to rip me off just on the fact that i'm white, but that's because i've been here 5 months. In any case, I just find it rather ironic when Indians go abroad and then rip people off.
posted by kent @ 6:01 a.m.
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comments
2 Comments:
"I just find it rather ironic when Indians go abroad and then rip people off." huh? that's a very generalized statement.
that's fair...then again, there is a reason why India is known for people constantly trying to rip you off. Indians that go to western countries often find themselves in a better life and do not need to resort to some of the tactics they might of used here (not to mention that fact that it's illegal).
I'm not saying that all Indians are like this and there are plenty of people in Canada that try to rip you off, too - it isn't nearly as obvious, mind you. However, India has made a name for itself as a place were tourists get ripped off (partly the tourists fault as well), so it really doesn't surprise me to hear a story like this. What is ironic is that it happened in the US, in a place where that kind of thing is illegal (and no doubt the two Indian guys are living a good life), and not in India.
Also, as a local, you may not be aware of how often people try to rip foreigners off here. We have to pay inflated prices for rickshaw rides, for example (even in Chandigarh, where we live and work for Indian rupees). Anyone in the business of dealing with us thinks we're ignorant and can take us for a ride (no pun intended). I admit, I haven't been to that many countries, but the ones I've never seen it quite as pervasive in society as it is here.
Hope that works for an explanation...didn't mean to offend anyone.
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