i think dealing with crook taxi drivers is allot safer than attempting to drive in india, especially if you are not used to it....and parking a car in the wrong place will surely earn you a a few cinder blocks. lynch mobs form pretty easily in the event of an accident where people get hurt.

the rule of thumb with almost everything in india is this:

if someone is proactive about helping you or providing a service, it is a scam.

if they want to help you but you never asked for help, its a scam.

if they dont have a reason to help you (they dont work for a restaurant or hotel that you are a guest in) yet they are still helping you it is probably a scam...

dont even give them the benefit of he doubt, since 99% of the time, the scam assumption is correct...

always grab taxis from taxi stands or a radio taxi co, even generic unmarked taxis are fine provided you get one from a stand...always get food and services from a tangible fixed location, never give in to strangers off the street or people with easy to move setups. always always always make sure your taxi rides begin with you talking to some guy in a fixed kiosk or stand.

if you want a guide, find a legit company. if you need a bottle of whiskey, find a shop, any whiskey you get on the street is tea water, even if its sealed. if you want shoes, find a shoe store. if you need to eat, dont buy food from roaming vendors, fixed locations have more to lose so they maintain higher standards...auto rickshaws are cheap and fine, but i would only use them for short hops, unless you can tolerate the beggars who can get more in your face when there is no glass between them and you...

as far as the taxis rates, always negotiate or find out the per km rate...and take note of the odometer since most unmarked cabs charge by the kilometer... 1600 for a single point a to b ride in the city is a little steep...in delhi we hired an unmarked taxi from a stand for about 1700 (35-40 canadian) a day!!!...he took as all over delhi for 13 hours!!!...several stops, plus he stayed with the car, even if we went somewhere for 2 hours. afterwards he whiped out a sheet from his cab co showing the odometer reading from the start of our trip plus the reading after and the total.

if you had a good experience with a taxi driver/stand (safe driver with ac and a stereo that has not been stolen) its always good to ask him to turn up the next time you have plans, and jot his mobile/stands number down aswell ...its also handy when the driver knows where to drop you off, since you might forget where your own lodging is...