- Bribe Fighter
- 13 years ago
- 5670 views
Porters Demanding Obscene Prices for Luggage at CST Mumbai
I was cycling around India for 3 months in 2005. I wanted to take a train to Goa and start there. My bike was in a box and I was carrying other luggage. Upon arival (in a Taxi) I was mobbed by Porters demanding 600 ruppees to take my 2 bags and one box to the luggage office. I refused point blank and after 10 minutes explaining politely that they were essentially commiting daylight robbery, I moved the stuff myself. My train wasn't for another 3 hours. One Porter decided that he would keep checking on me and explained he would be my man to move my goods onto the train later on. Luckily I was shown by a person the Porter Charges on the wall of the Station (Very hard to find). If I remember, it was 13 Ruppees per Bag. When the time came, my man eagerly grabbed my stuff and, expecting a big pay day, followed me onto the train and sat waiting for his payment. He was extremely disapointed to receive his 39 Ruppees as set out by the Railways. This kind of treatement was unfortunately experienced throughout ALL India. My point is that if Tourists are treated this way and speaking to many, most just pay, the people providing the service then get used to big payments and thus it becomes more profitable for them to target Westerners and not the people who depend on their services - or, there demands for payment go up thus harming everyone. My advice is to be stubborn and not pay over the odds as it will not be you who suffers in the long term....