2025 Jan-India Mon 20. Mysore.

OMG! Someone nearly died today.

I nearly got ridden off the road by a nazi tuk tuk driver! 

The police were as useful as tits-on-a-bull, or shit-on-a-stick.

Words were exchanged all around!

F'ing Indian police and dodgy tuk tuk drivers. Dodgy and dangerous. Now I can appreciate why women would not want to travel solo in this country. Police are the problem! 

So here is how it went down:

I booked an Uber Motorcycle for the very short journey to the Mysore Palace. I decided on not walking straight away as it was already quite warm and I was a little tired from the overnight train journey.

As soon as I was picked up by the Uber motorcycle, a tuk tuk driver deliberately tried to run us off the road (twice), just outside the hotel. The rider was screaming at the tuk tuk driver.

We saw a police officer at the corner of the street and stopped in front of him, trying to get him to intervene. Refer to the picture of where we stopped at 11:09am (red dot).

We were gesturing to the police that we were attacked, but the police officer was more concerned with talking on his mobile phone. Then the tuk tuk driver and his mate blocked us in!

Somebody was about to die today! Lucky I wasn't carry my fruit cutting knife. It was very heated indeed!

*Lucky 'Andrew', from the previous northern Indian tour, was not around...he would have clocked them pretty quickly.

The Uber moto rider was trying to explain that he was a local (Mysore local). The tuk tuk driver claimed that he was out of the city, and taking his job away. This was not the case. I was never going to use tuk tuk as they are uncomfortable, slow, and all the drivers are dodgy. Every single one of them. Uber motorcycle is very comfy and it is very efficient in slicing through traffic.

I was pissed as I was being illegally detained by tuk tuk drivers, nearly injured and the police officer was still talking on his phone! Who the F can illegally detain sombody? It is called KIDNAPPING!

Luckily, nobody was in critical condition, because the police officer wouldn't have cared (more interested in continuing telephone conversation instead of working).

A lot of shouting by all parties and then the police officer decided to chime in. About sweet f'ing time.

I had shouting words with the officer as to why he was doing jack shit, and I was still being delayed. The officer did not speak English, we were shouting at each other. I waved off the police officer and called my tour guide (this was our free time). I couldn't be bothered trying to talk to a stupid police officer that wouldn't do anything. Mysore is pretty lawless. The police are gutless to the tuk tuk mafia.

The Uber rider finally calmed the situation down. The police officer let us proceed and we left the officer with the tuk tuk drivers. Most likely the officer was too lazy to lay charges on the nazi tuk tuk drivers.

As I recounted the events with the guide later that night, he had indicated that Mysore is quite bad with the touting tuk tuk drivers. It is very aggressive, more than any other city. Even when we were walking to the restaurant for dinner, the touters would cross the line. This is a shit tourist city. The tour guide even had to separate the elderly tour lady members from the touters (stand in between), to ensure they were not bothered. The touters cannot take no for an answer. 

The tour guide, Surya, is an exceptional tour leader. A 10/10. Cannot be faulted. But I could see that even he was getting annoyed with the touters. 

I am shocked that Intrepid would put Mysore as a destination stop. It is really not a safe place due to the aggressiveness of the touters. I have visited a great many countries and this was the first time I felt endangered. There would be no chance I would recommend solo female travellers visit Mysore...you would be harassed. 

The police fail to act and let things slide. This is a failure of the police. Crime festers when the law fails to act.

Mysore has the single Palace as its main attraction. Trust me when I say that tours missing Mysore is not a substantial loss. Better to be safe and substitute with a different city stop, or stay longer somewhere else.

Besides visiting Mysore Palace, the highlight was the walk up to Chamundi Hill & Temple.

A rather boring day indeed. I would have liked a little more activity.