What's the Gringo Price?

A teen in one of our villages recently asked me to buy him some shoes the next time I was in the city. He was very specific about what he wanted and told me he would pay me for them when I brought them. He said, "They cost Q30." I mentioned slightly jokingly, "What if they charge me more for having a white face?" He said under no circumstance was I to pay more than Q30.

I found said shoes in a store in the center of the market. When I found the right size I asked how much out of curiosity instead of just handing him Q30. If you know the right price and don't want to fight about it, you should just pay the person rather than ask how much. I use this same tactic when I forget to verify the price of a Tuk Tuk before getting on board.

50, he told me. I set the shoes down and walked out of his area. I then turned around and said, "Oh, I was told 30, but I guess I have to pay more because I'm white and you want to take advantage." His response, "30 then." He then put the shoes in a bag, I gave him the money and not another word was spoken.

I like to think that I played some small part in helping to stop the rampant discrimination against foreigners, or at least proved to him that I wasn't as stupid as I looked, but the reality is probably far removed from either of those.