Written 9/30/11
I've been joking about what I've come to call the "white man's tax." Anywhere I go in India (on the streets at least) the fair color of my skin means a raised price. White people must have green auras. I get maybe two of ten rickshaw rides at a fair price and even entry into museums and land marks jumps as much as 250% for foreigners. The latter is not such a concern as, one would hope, for the most part the extra money goes towards preserving culture and history for the enjoyment of the less endowed natives. The rickshaws, however, are a noose of annoyance around the neck of one's patience. The tightening noose results in a death of frustration. The truth is that people despise being taken advantage of. it is an affront to pride and principle. I all reality, though, an eight mile taxi ride for under two dollars really isn't that bad. Granted, it can sneak up on you when you take six or seven smalls trips in a day, but the people doing that are pretty much just tourists anyway. Is it really such a crime that foreigners are charged more because they are assumed to have more? After all, we do for the most part. Even those travelers who don't at least had enough to make it there - a luxury most natives will never know. The fact is that if natives could afford (in general) to pay more they would be charged more. A thing does not have to be fair in order to be just. Besides, "... of him who much is given, much will be asked."
So why is it we see greed and pride as being less wrong than cheating? Are the Seven sins so deadly because we are less likely to be aware of the level at which they have consumed us? We so desperately want to believe that we are teaching - these fathers, sons, husbands just trying to live a better life - a lesson in honesty when we complain and demand a "fair" price. In truth the only lesson we teach is of the selfishness and greed of foreigners.
I've been joking about what I've come to call the "white man's tax." Anywhere I go in India (on the streets at least) the fair color of my skin means a raised price. White people must have green auras. I get maybe two of ten rickshaw rides at a fair price and even entry into museums and land marks jumps as much as 250% for foreigners. The latter is not such a concern as, one would hope, for the most part the extra money goes towards preserving culture and history for the enjoyment of the less endowed natives. The rickshaws, however, are a noose of annoyance around the neck of one's patience. The tightening noose results in a death of frustration. The truth is that people despise being taken advantage of. it is an affront to pride and principle. I all reality, though, an eight mile taxi ride for under two dollars really isn't that bad. Granted, it can sneak up on you when you take six or seven smalls trips in a day, but the people doing that are pretty much just tourists anyway. Is it really such a crime that foreigners are charged more because they are assumed to have more? After all, we do for the most part. Even those travelers who don't at least had enough to make it there - a luxury most natives will never know. The fact is that if natives could afford (in general) to pay more they would be charged more. A thing does not have to be fair in order to be just. Besides, "... of him who much is given, much will be asked."
So why is it we see greed and pride as being less wrong than cheating? Are the Seven sins so deadly because we are less likely to be aware of the level at which they have consumed us? We so desperately want to believe that we are teaching - these fathers, sons, husbands just trying to live a better life - a lesson in honesty when we complain and demand a "fair" price. In truth the only lesson we teach is of the selfishness and greed of foreigners.
No comments:
Post a Comment