I visited SR last year with no intentions of visiting Angkor Wat.
The tuktuk driver who delivered me to my hotel didnt quiet understand what
"I'm not going to Angkor Wat" meant.
His starting price for a "full day, can see everything" was $20.
It took about 2 minutes of him negotiating with himself, to knock his price down to $10 for a full day.
He was flabbergasted that I wasn't even keen to pre-book his services for tomorrow, or the next day..
How much do these drivers pay to rent a tuktuk for the day / week ?
Maybe $5 a day ?
A days worth of fuel - not more than $2.50
So, lets say $8.00 to cover his costs for the day (50 cents for some lunch or the odd puncture repair )
$10 sounds like rock bottom, and not kosher at all..
It sticks the poor bugger into a, must earn a few bucks to keep the head above water, scenario.
It also gives him free license to pull at your heart strings every 10 minutes with stories of mass murder, a sick cow, a toilet that wont flush and grannies need for some dental work cause shes weary of eating noodle soup. He will get his $12 one way or the other..
$12 gives him a $4 earn for a days work sitting on a bike, some minor tour guiding and the willingness to show you photos and tell stories of a depressing home life that would rock anyone's boat.. If he plays his cards right then he will earn a few extra bucks in tips, no problem..
$15 gives him a $7 earn.. You'll still get the stories.. They all want that magical $20..
$20 gives him all the ammunition required to hit this rich pricks heart strings as hard as humanly possible. He knows there is another $10 to come at the end of a hard days story telling.
Watch how relaxed he lays on his tuktuk as you wander off to veiw the sights... I've come back to my driver enjoying a few beers with his mates, another was sound asleep, snoring to a tune of "I'm in the money.
Thankfully, I now have a motor vehicle at my disposal in SR.
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