Autos

Autos are the most common for-hire transport in countries where very few can afford a car. There are 37,000 of them in Chennai alone. The driver in front has motorcycle-type controls, and in the two passenger spaces behind there are as many people or cargo as can be hung on them. They evolved from the Vespa scooters of the 1940s and were first sold by Piaggia in Italy in 1948. Now a couple of Indian companies dominate the world market. I don’t know how I worked in research in a major world automotive company and never became aware of them. This is only one example of U.S. smug arrogance which is really a manifestation of ignorance.