How do the guys collect their commissions? - Bert and returned to the markets just south of Connaught Place in the city center on Saturday.  These are markets renowned for second hand clothing, cheap clothing and cheap imitations of expensive products.  We were just starting to relax and enjoy the mix of people, colours and products (having left anything valuable in our hotel suite in case we were going to get into jostling crowds) when the young man who was so 'helpful' in guiding us to a more suitable, more expensive shopping location, several weeks ago, showed up again and grinning ear to ear asked "Remember me?"  He then had the gall, yet again, to try and persuade us that we were not looking in the right place and would surely get much better goods in the direction he wanted to point us.  I didn't feel too charitable, but Bert, always keen to avoid an international incident, waved him off in a friendly manner.

If things had worked out the way the lad had hoped the first time I assume we would have trundled off towards the correct shop and another amazingly friendly buddy of his would have received some signal from him that we were the target customers and perhaps youth #2 would have suggested a slight course correction for us.  Would he have walked us to the door or passed us off to another agent, #3, in line?  Would they all get a cut of the profits of anything we bought?  I keep having to remind myself that this is good entrepreneurial spirit and much better than sitting in line to pick up unemployment benefits.

Last weekend as we left the grounds of the Lotus temple in the south of the city we wanted to visit an area nearby that had been recommended to us.  We mentioned where we wanted to go and the rickshaw driver said, ok,quoted an outrageous price and then said he'd go in the opposite direction so that we could take a look at some products before he took us to our desired destination.  No thank you, we really don't want to see other goods and that is the opposite way of our destination.  The fellow almost begged us (he didn't look underfed) to go with him to get some fuel token if he showed up at the aforementioned emporium with potential customers.  Good sense won out, in that we just walked off in the direction we wanted to go and later found a more accommodating tuktuk driver. The incident left us wondering about the incentives involved.  The original driver ostensibly gave up a RS50 ride for a RS30 fuel voucher.  We are guessing there is more to the story and presumably the success rate of persuading reluctant customers to purchase something must be fairly high.

I wonder how much weight I will gain in Virginia when I no longer have tuktuk drivers to haggle with and no reason to walk miles to get to my destination.