New Delhi by tuk-tuk..

Three-wheelers are very handy option to travel in New Delhi, as you can find them everywhere, and they are pretty convenient and cheap too. However, you should be careful to avoid paying more than what it deserves. If you are clueless, you will be left paying 5 times the amount that it really costs.

Negotiations!

One important point is beware of the three-wheeler drivers. Unless you speak Hindi (or the local language of the region. I noticed a similar behavior among the drivers in Hyderabad, where they mainly speak Telugu), they will try their best to charge as much as they can (You will be charged 250 INR, where they charge 50 INR normally for the locals), and they may even tend to cheat. Ask for an estimate from the friends, before going out. All the three-wheelers are metered. The meters either do not work, or the drivers just do not obey them. Don't ever dare to get into a three-wheeler without negotiating the price beforehand. That will just get you ripped off. Moving three-wheelers tend to charge lesser than the one who park, specifically the ones who park as groups on the road sides.

Some three-wheeler negotiations

The typical success scenario.

/Me: *Stops a moving three-wheeler*
Me: "Chanakyapuri..."
3W driver: "xdsve cwsnujfe mxiwwemo huer?" (Hindi that you won't understand anyway)
Me: "Vinay Marg!" (I assume his question is, "Where exactly in Chanakyapuri")
3W: "Hundred rupees!"
/Me: *gets in!* (My assumption was right!)

Now the failure scenario.

/Me: *Stops a moving three-wheeler*
Me: "Chanakyapuri..."
3W driver: "xdsve cwsnujfe mxiwwemo huer?"
Me: "Vinay Marg!"
3W: "fehus feua feuh"
/Me: *confused* *What does he say* :-o
Me: "How much?" (Had to ask the price now.. :()
3W: "Two Hundred Fifty!" (Since I asked in English!)
Me: "That's just too much" *Walks away*
3W: "Hundred fifty" *shouts

/Me *ignores and walks to find another threewheeler.

A good negotiation

/Me: *Stops a moving three-wheeler*

Me: "Chanakyapuri..."
3W driver: "xdsve cwsnujfe mxiwwemo huer?"
Me: "Vinay Marg!"
3W: "fehus feua feuh"
/Me: *same expression, as the second 3W guy above. Let's ignore.
Me: "Ninety" (Saying my own price!)
3W: "Hundred Twenty!"
/Me: *Walks away slowly*
3W: "Hundred ten" *shouts
/Me: *gets in!*

No random tourist guides!
Never let a three-wheeler driver be your tourist guide. They try to offer their own tourist packages, "I will take you to India Gate, Lotus Temple, and Connaught Place shopping area, round trip - all Delhi covered - 2000 Rupees." He said, 100 INR to Birla Mandir, and he would wait for 20 mins and pick me up for a round trip with 250 INR. Any child would understand that I have no real reason to accept this offer, as I can just get down and get another three-wheeler for 100 INR, which is way cheaper. When I explained him this, he came down to offer the trip for 150 INR. Still it can't go above 70 INR. If you are from a developed country, you of course can ignore the above issues, as both 50 INR and 250 INR will be like 1 - 3 USD, which you can safely consider negligible.