Don't spoil them.....

My wise old uncle once told me, "always treat a new girl the same way as you mean to go on", if you spoil her in the beginning she will expect this treatment as the relationship continues, "why don't you buy me flowers everyday like you used to, don't you love me". This goes for children too, spoil them at your own peril.

As a tourist, backpacker or traveler, visiting a third world country, you have the same obligation, as you are an ambassador to that country, the locals will watch, learn and copy you, if you teach them bad habits and spoil them they will come to expect it from all visitors, you overpay and they believe every foreigner will overpay.

In Sri Lanka for example the tuk-tuk drivers now demand 3 times what the locals pay, yes most foreigners can afford this and probably should pay this, the money is not really the point, though now there is nearly 1 tuk-tuk driver to every foreigner, and competition is fierce, they line the streets, hollering as you pass by "Halo, where you going?", this may be from 10 drivers in a row, extremely annoying, making it difficult to even cross the street without being run over by a tuk-tuk wanting your business.



Benevolence is a wonderful virtue, but spoiling one or two drivers is not going to solve the issue, it might make you feel good, but it has far greater consequences and may have a far different reaction than you believe, just go down the street and give somebody a ten dollar bill for two days in a row, then watch the disappointment on their face from a distance on the third day when you don't do it.

If you want to leave a tip just be sure it is relative to what is earned in the country as the average person is still working a hard 9-5 shift in these hot conditions and giving what he earns in a day to a guy who just hussels tourists is a kick in the face to them.