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Anywhere else in India you think auto-rickshaw wallah and the first word that come to your head is crook. This is not the case in Mumbai.

Amateur Blogger explains why – as he compares auto-wallahs in Mumbai to the ones in Hyderabad.

One thing that struck me about Mumbai as different from any other Indian city I’ve visited was that autos very infrequently refuse to go to a particular destination, they charge you by the meter, the meters are all in order (no hanky-panky), and they will not round off the fare to the next multiple of 10. There is an exception to this, however, the Mumbai airport, where they will rip you apart. For the most part, though, it is almost a pleasure dealing with the auto-wallahs in that city.

Another thing is that it seems to be the only city which seems to value time. The fare shown by the meter is a function of time, in addition to being a function of the distance as it is everywhere else. And a major difference as well: a ride from Goregaon to the domestic airport in Santacruz, took me 1.5 hours and 110 rupees, while on the way back (at 4:30 AM in the morning) it took me 20 minutes and 60 rupees (didn’t even charge me night fare). Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think that happens in any other city.