Rough Morning

12 June 2010 9:11

My flight to Bangalore/Bengaluru is just taking off. I am exhausted physically and emotionally, and I am nervous about landing and meeting/finding John.

Woke. Headache. Showered. Packed. Checked out of hotel.

This is where my rough morning began. Because it was so early in the morning, I allowed the hotel to hail a cab for me. I was annoyed to find that they got a “cool cab” (over priced fancy taxi). I should have made a fuss and refused, but I didn’t have the energy and wasn’t feeling well. $450 Rs to the airport. It should have been less than $300 Rs. So it goes. . .

Well, the fellow took me to the wrong airport, so I hailed an auto rickshaw. A man clad in white dove into the back seat after me. I knew something was wrong. I could sense that the driver wasn’t comfortable, but we arrived at the correct airport and the correct gate. The man in the seat next to me wanted $650 Rs (an actual value of $10 Rs) for accompanying me to the ‘correct’ destination and for the ride. I furiously pushed my way
passed him with my luggage and down right refused to pay a cent.

I got my packed checked in and then went through security. I got pulled away to a separate compartment twice to be thoroughly searched. I suspect that is was due to the light color of my skin and bright blue eyes. . . I am the only foreigner on this flight.

I feel like a victim of India. I do not possess hard feeling or ill thoughts about the India people as a whole, but I am vexed at some of the individual’s courage to take advantage of a young female.