Lisbon Tuk Tuk

We feel a disappointing travel experience that appears unmitigable can often be mitigated by regarding it as a learning experience toward avoiding potential future ones. For example, TukTuks are not indigenous to Europe or European culture; rather they're the epitome of purely rudimentary short-distance transportation in India and SE Asia. Their under-powered, high centre of gravity, 3-wheel chassis and open miminalist construction render them not particularly maneuverable or safe, especially somewhere where they are in the minority amongst larger, heavier, faster, more modern vehicles. Their 2-cycle motors are smelly and noisy. They're hot in summer, wet in the rain, and cold in the winter. Anyone who imports one into a European city as a tour vehicle has apparently either failed to consider the foregoing or failed to arrive at the sensible conclusion. As one might say is the case to some extent with anyone who chooses that tour company. A 4-wheel electric cart is better in every respect and we saw those in Lisbon. As far as the guide not hearing your requests, was there some inhibition to tapping the bloke on the shoulder?

In the time we spent in Lisbon we toured self-guided with an RS guidebook in hand, using Ubers (not expensive, it's a small city) for longer hops (it was 37°C, the trolleys were packed and sweltering, otherwise we'd have used those as they're the quintessentially Lisbon-esque modus of local transportation).

We did use RS books as always and did his walking tours which we always do.

The Tuk Tuk tour we prebooled was from a RS recommendatin

You got the tour you had booked, and the guide was good, but your issue, it seems, is that it was hard to communicate back and forth with the driver, while he was operating the vehicle? And that the company wasn’t interested in discussing? Discussing what exactly? That tuk tuks are open air vehicles that are noisy (in fact that’s where the name tuk tuk comes from, a Thai description of the engine sound, which is like a loud, annoying lawn mower or leaf blower) and regardless who is driving it, you can’t really converse with the driver unless the vehicle is stopped? Anyone who’s ever ridden in one of these knows that, and now you do too.

Thank you for the time to reply. I said he was polite But my issues were we didn’t hear him and vice versa and I suspect it was t his first tour so he would know better than I. And I have taken two of these in Vietnam with no issues. but you made a point I will take now I know and it won’t happen again.