Negotiating the streets of Lima (guest author Robert DiBacco)

As we enter our third week of the project, we have become quite familiar with the city and understand the nuances of traveling within it. City life is one of congestion; hoards of people filling the streets and deadlocked traffic at all hours of the day. Although Lima has begun to develop its public transit infrastructure, it will be a while before the Limeños decrease their reliance on the over abundance of taxis. So, like the masses, we have incorporated the taxi experience into our daily routine. Approaching an intersection is like a big game of chicken, and whoever honks their horn first, receives the right of way. Here, the horn is such an essential component of the automobile that without it, the vehicle would be rendered useless. Just like if you tie an Italian’s hands behind his back he will be unable to speak (I’m of Italian descent btw), take away a Peruvian’s horn, and he will be unable to drive. However, weaving amongst the traffic and feverishly changing lanes, I had an incredible thought; Peruvians are actually quite amazing drivers – always alert, always creative, and always knowing the exact dimensions of their vehicle.

Perhaps the most impressive part of our assimilation has been our ability to negotiate. Taxis do not have meters here rather all fares are negotiable. Although we started off probably overpaying, I’m confident that we are now getting much better fares. One learns very quickly that everything in Latin America is negotiable, it is a way of life and perhaps it is even more efficient than methods in the US. No one is offended if you offer less for a product or service, just as no one is offended if the transaction does not happen. Having taken Prof. Denis Leclerc’s Global Negotiations class, I know my strengths, weaknesses, and different tactics to attack a negotiation. However, negotiating a fare at the side of the road with cars whizzing by, definitely can be challenging. Personally, I have fun with it and use this as just another experience to hone my negotiation skills. So, if you can get a taxi for 5 Soles instead of 10, then you’re on your way to eliminating the “Gringo” tax that we so often have to pay!