Tout

Tout - "In British English, a tout is any person who solicits business or employment in an importune manner"

Back in New Delhi, just before Chris arrived, we met one of the best touts of all. In the Tout Olympics this guy would have gotten at least Bronze. The Lonley Planet guide had warned us of touts who try to lure you into taking an over priced rickshaw ride downtown at a scam tourist office which claimed to be the government one that every tourist is actually looking for.

So on our way up to the New Delhi train station we were slightly unsure of the entrance and more uncertain where the Tourist services office was. As we approached a smallish entrance where many people were going in and out there was a man standing at the wall checking people as they came in.

"Tickets?", he said. We looked at him puzzled since we had come to the train station looking to buy tickets. We read of a Tourist Boureau there that would plan rail travel and sell tickets. However this guy motioned that we needed tickets to enter the rail station.

"You don't have tickets?", he said after looking us over. "We coming to buy tickets", Abe said back to him. "You can't get in without tickets, you need to purchase them at the tourist office.", he replied.

We looked more uncertain as we thought the tourist office was in the train station and were dubious of his explaination. "Come with me. I'll show you.", he continued as he walked us away from the entrance.

"You need to purchase tickets at the Tourist Office, you know where that is right?", he asked us and looked around at each of our faces. "Let me see your map, you have a map right?", he motioned to give our map over to him and we pulled it out of our bag and looked on.

"You need to go down here to N12 (in Conaught Circle) and purchase your tickets at the tourist office, then come back to the train station.", he said as he pointed on the map to a downtown location that was probably a quick rickshaw ride away from us. "Just take one of the government rickshaws downtown there. You know which ones are the government ones, right?", he looked at Abe who was grinning and proceeded to motion us towards an area of rickshaw drivers who were waiting.

"Tomorrow is an Indian festival, the offices will all be closed all day and are closing soon today, so you have to hurry and buy your tickets in the next half hour.", he said with some excitement in his voice. We frowned at each other and looked back at him.

"Come on, over here are the government rides", he said pointing to rickshaws that looked just like any other ones. Government rides, acording to the book, are white and require a prepaid ticket from one of the boothes around train stations and airports. The man talked quickly to the rickshaw rider in Hindi and then turned back to us.

"Ok, this driver will take you there for 10 rupees, just hop in.", he motined to get in the car. We all looked at each other at this moment since the more this guy talked and the more he pushed us to go downtown we realized what was actually happening.

"Our friends are over there though.", Abe pointed back towards the train station. "We're meeting them in a minute and then we're going to the Tourist Office, but thanks", he insisted to the man and we moved quickly away from the guy turning to each other to remark how amazing a Tout he was!

He found us at a confusing point, the entrance to a large building we'd never been to before. He was seemingly helpful and spoke english very well. He seemed to make sure that we didn't get stuck at any point by pushing us along to each step. The dead give aways were that tomorrow was an Indian festival, "so we had to hurry", and the tourist office was downtown but not where our map said it was. Anyway, it was pretty fun to see in person after reading about them and I can see how many people are taken by them, this guy was so convincing.