STORY: U.S. diplomats in New Delhi replace their armored cars with ‘tuk tuks'

(Ann L. Mason, U.S. diplomat)

"When I was in Pakistan before coming to India, I was in armored vehicles and they were big, beautiful vehicles but I would always look out on the street and I would see the autorickshaws going by and I always wanted to be in the autorickshaw. So, when I got to India and I had the opportunity to buy one, I took it immediately."

Mason says it’s liberating to get around in a three-wheeler

Three other U.S. diplomats have also bought personalized ‘tuk tuks’

(Ruth Holmberg, U.S. diplomat)

"I think that diplomacy is not all high-level and formal. Diplomacy is people meeting people, people getting to know each other, getting chance to build relationships and that's what I can do with the auto (tuk tuk)."