This is an incident which happened about 10 years back.
My wife was studying for her MD from a small town in Madhya Pradesh. The roads in that town are very narrow. Most of the people go from one place to another walking or using their own transport - like a motor cycle or a scooter. If you did not have the luxury of owning either one of them and not prepared to walk, then you had no option but to hire a cycle-rickshaw.
Cycle rickshaw is nothing but a cycle with a carriage attached to it. So it’s a threewheeler. Two persons can comfortably sit in the carriage while the cycle rickshawala pedals or pulls the rickshaw with all his might. Though a bit primitive, it is quite a fun to ride in one of these rickshaws (provided of course that the roads are in good condition).
Bargaining was the order of the day – a ritual which had to be completed.
I was working in Merchant Navy as an engineer on board. So it was six months ON and three months OFF for me. During my leave I used to spend most of my time with my wife in that small town.
One day we made a plan to watch a movie. The cinema hall was at a distance of Rs. 8/- by rickshaw. (Don’t be surprised – in some towns the distance is also measured in rupees, just as it is measured in minutes in some places “xxx is just five minutes walk from here.”).
My wife asked the rickshawala: “What would you charge to take us to the Mayur Cinema Hall?”
Rickshawala replied: “10 rupees madam.”
Without even thinking to bargain for such trivial amount, I jumped into the rickshaw. My wife was naturally perturbed over my spendthrift attitude.
She asked me: “Why didn’t you allow me to bargain? You know, the normal fare is Rs. 8/- only.”
Just then a thought occurred to me and I told her: “You know dear, had you bargained and got the ride for Rs. 8/- you would still be an unsatisfied customer as you still would have thought that if only you had tried enough, the rickshawala would have agreed to take us for Rs. 7/-.”
“But now imagine the condition of the rickshawala. Instead of being satisfied of getting Rs. 2 extra than the normal fare, he must be cursing himself for having asked for Rs. 10/- only. While strenuosly cycling, he must be continuously thinking ‘if only I had asked for Rs. 12/- or better still Rs.14/- …….. and perhaps these guys would not have bothered to bargain……..’ Isn’t that an interesting insight?”
I was working in Merchant Navy as an engineer on board. So it was six months ON and three months OFF for me. During my leave I used to spend most of my time with my wife in that small town.
One day we made a plan to watch a movie. The cinema hall was at a distance of Rs. 8/- by rickshaw. (Don’t be surprised – in some towns the distance is also measured in rupees, just as it is measured in minutes in some places “xxx is just five minutes walk from here.”).
My wife asked the rickshawala: “What would you charge to take us to the Mayur Cinema Hall?”
Rickshawala replied: “10 rupees madam.”
Without even thinking to bargain for such trivial amount, I jumped into the rickshaw. My wife was naturally perturbed over my spendthrift attitude.
She asked me: “Why didn’t you allow me to bargain? You know, the normal fare is Rs. 8/- only.”
Just then a thought occurred to me and I told her: “You know dear, had you bargained and got the ride for Rs. 8/- you would still be an unsatisfied customer as you still would have thought that if only you had tried enough, the rickshawala would have agreed to take us for Rs. 7/-.”
“But now imagine the condition of the rickshawala. Instead of being satisfied of getting Rs. 2 extra than the normal fare, he must be cursing himself for having asked for Rs. 10/- only. While strenuosly cycling, he must be continuously thinking ‘if only I had asked for Rs. 12/- or better still Rs.14/- …….. and perhaps these guys would not have bothered to bargain……..’ Isn’t that an interesting insight?”
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