Friday, May 8

A Note About Tuk-Tuks

*CLAP*CLAP*CLAP*CLAP*CLAP* (a loud and obnoxious clap probably best used to scare a raccoon from your garbage cans or in some other similar human-animal interaction.)

I glare (through my sunglasses) in the man's general direction. Though I know he can't see me it makes me feel better.

"HEY LADY! YOU WANNA TUKTUK!?!?!??!"

What do you think? I think to myself probably more bitterly than the situation really requires. I'm walking towards Pub Street. It's about 20 feet. Do I really need a tuk tuk?!

"WHERE YOU GOING?"

Not really any of your business.

"TUKTUK!?TUKTUK!?"

Whatever happened to hailing a tuk-tuk when you need a tuk-tuk?
It's not really an impulse decision.
You either need a tuk tuk or you don't need a tuk tuk.
I am aware of the possibility of taking a tuk tuk.

"TUKTUK PLEASE?"

Gaah!!! As soon as I get to Bangkok I am making a t-shirt: I DON'T NEED A FREAKING TUK-TUK!

For three weeks, whenever I left my guesthouse, a restaurant, store, or go anywhere near the outside world I'd go through this interaction at least a half dozen times. Today, at the Pakse International Airport, there wasn't a single tuk-tuk for hire. I'm serious. Zero. Nada. None. It's like they don't have tuk-tuks in Laos, which is obviously just silly. It was a totally freaky experience.

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