Auto!

I recently came across this genuine Bajaj auto rickshaw in the Portrero neighborhood of SF. The sighting put a smile on my face. I can not for the life of me imagine how it came to be there.

Typically black and yellow, occasionally green and yellow, this sturdy little three-wheeled taxi (with a fantastic turning radius) is found in most parts of India. The driver (and possibly his close friend) of course mans the front, with room for three average size adult passengers (or a dozen school children) to sit comfortably. In Madhurai, I was once one of six (desperate) adult female passengers: one shared the front seat with our driver, three sat across the back, another sat on their laps, and I sat on a bar at the side window with my back side hanging out. We were a motley bunch: three Americans, one Irishwoman, my friend from Japan, and one Indian from another state.

See also tuk-tuk, the Thai version.