Tuk-tuk relationships

One of the interesting dynamics in Cambodia is the relationship that a person has with their moto or tuk-tuk driver. Once a man drives a westerner to a specific location they will do anything they can to become the regular driver. They'll wait outside of restaurants even when you ask them not to. They'll insist on not getting paid until you come back from wherever it is they dropped you off, so you're obligated to ride them home. They'll even show up outside of your house every morning and your workplace every afternoon, hoping you'll let them give you a ride. And don't even think about trying to walk down the street. They'll yell at you, they'll follow you, they'll occasionally curse at you as you pass them by. And once they have you, they become very possessive. One of my co-workers got stuck with an old man who didn't know his way around town. She left Cambodia and when she came back months later, he found her, and she now has to sneak around to take a tuk-tuk driver who knows what he's doing.

My driver was Jack. Yes, was. I'll get to that soon. For the first month that I was here, Jack was great. I'm sure I've written about him. Funny, kind, super responsible. He was a great driver. I paid him an exorbitant price to take me to work and back every day. Seriously, $25 a week. He also drove my friends and I around on the weekends for an extra price. When I went to Siem Reap I found a couple of girls who were on their way to PP and made sure they got him to drive them around town when they got there and I always made sure that my friends here took him when they needed a ride.

Sometime after the first month Jack had some sort of emergency and disappeared for a few days. He arranged for a friend to pick me up like he always does. He showed up a day later than he said he would with red eyes and looking exhausted. After that he started to change. He used to change clothes at least twice a day, now he wears the same clothes sometimes two or three days in a row. His eyes are red all of the time. He has yelled at me at least twice, and I mean yelled. He has constantly been late to pick me up, and lately I have had to wait 20 minutes or more for him to pick me up at work. It's been getting ridiculous. I have wanted to fire him but after he yelled at me the first time I told him not to pick me up the next day and he got a terrified look in his eyes and started apologizing profusely. I hated the feeling that someone's livelihood was dependent on me. It was terrible and I felt guilty, so I didn't fire him. And I put up with his awfulness and irresponsibility because hey, it's Cambodia, everything sucks.

After I realized how broke I am I started walking home from work and paying him half. He never said anything to me, although I tried to explain that I was running out of money and needed to cut back (he pretended he didn't understand) but I could tell that he wasn't happy. Finally, this week took the cake. I paid him for the week and he seemed fine. Then he called me a few minutes after he drove away and started yelling at me. He yelled that I didn't pay him enough, that I didn't pay him for Saturday (this confused me because he drove my friends and I for about half a day and we payed him $12, quite more than it would have cost with anyone else), and a host of other things that I didn't understand. When I broke down the cost of each ride and how many rides he had given me over the week I realized that I had miscalculated and owed him $1. ONE DOLLAR!!! However, he wasn't happy with this and, although he couldn't tell me how much I owed him or why he was even calling, he wouldn't except my math-based answer for why I had paid him the same rate that I have paid him for two months. We ended by agreeing- not amicably- that he wouldn't drive me anymore.

I'm relieved because every day I have wanted to fire him and every day I haven't because I feel guilty. I'm also angry because someone who I have been so good to and given so much money to (at least $200 myself plus all of the work I've sent him. The average salary in this country is $290 a year and most days, I was his only customer) tried to cheat me. My feelings are also hurt because the more I try to help people the more I get screwed. Basically, I'm just upset.

From now on, no more regular drivers. I think I'll start walking to work and back. It's cheaper, healthier, and will avoid getting my feelings hurt.

Travel well,
kat


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