Auto Rickshaw

A motorized three-wheeler that works as a cheap, hailable taxi. It has handlebars rather than a steering wheel, a single front wheel, open sides, a canvas or metal roof and a back seat built for two or three (and often carrying more). Fares are low, distances short, and in many cities you still agree the price before you get in, or argue about the meter when you get out.

The same vehicle goes by a different name almost everywhere it runs. India and Pakistan say auto or auto-rickshaw; Thailand, Sri Lanka and much of the tourist world say tuk-tuk; Bangladesh says CNG, after the compressed natural gas the engines burn; Jakarta says bajaj, after the Indian maker; Nigeria says keke; Egypt says toktok; Peru says mototaxi. Italy has the Piaggio Ape, the post-war three-wheeler the Indian ones descend from through licence-built designs.

The word rickshaw itself comes from Japanese jinrikisha, "human-powered vehicle", the two-wheeled carriage pulled by a running man. The pedal-powered cycle rickshaw came next, and the motor version took over most Asian streets in the second half of the twentieth century. 🛺 is the only rickshaw emoji of any kind, which is why it also stands in for the pedal and pulled ones.

What does it mean when someone sends 🛺?

Almost always a real ride: on the way, being booked, or remembered. From a friend in Delhi, Mumbai, Dhaka or Colombo, "🛺 10 min" means they are in an auto and nearly there; "🛺 ₹200 😤" means the driver overcharged; a rain cloud beside it means nobody will take the fare. Ride-hailing apps in these countries let you book an auto the way you book a cab, so the emoji turns up in perfectly ordinary commute chat.

From a traveller it is the holiday vehicle: bouncing through Bangkok, Jaipur or Siem Reap with the wind coming through the open sides, usually beside a photo. The emoji carries that mood of cheap, noisy, slightly chaotic fun, and nothing hidden underneath it. There is no slang meaning, no romantic code; if someone sends 🛺, they mean the three-wheeler.