What is it like to drive an auto rickshaw almost 3000km in deep South India?

Q&A from Quora about the Rickshaw Challenge.
The Question
What is it like to drive an auto rickshaw almost 3000km in deep South India?
Answer
‘It takes a rather… special person to decide, hey I want to travel in a really rickety vehicle, and see one of the most loved (and hated) countries in the world. Even if you know India well, like I did, nothing quite prepares you for it. The route was mostly rural. I thought it would be a great opportunity to see a country I love and know well, in an entirely different way, and to visit places that I would not typically go to.
People who are familiar with motorcycles will find it really easy to drive one. People like me, who aren’t, will find it quite hard. You’ve got to learn about shifting gears while in motion, using the handlebars. Because I’m one of those girls with non-existent body strength, I could never start the four-stroke engine. I just could not yank it into life. It’s a huge stick by the left side of the driver’s seat. We spent one afternoon learning to drive that thing. Most people, especially those who were good with bikes and cars, did very well.
We practised on a school field and the kids were delighted to see so many foreigners doing such a strange thing.
If you haven’t driven in India in any vehicle, don’t. It’s not for the faint-hearted. Cows. Carts. Scooters. People. More Cows. Buses, trucks, with HORN OK PLEASE, came so close they brushed the sides of our vehicle many times. It would have been a few seconds and a sleepy driver away from collision and disaster. This happened everyday, every second we were on the road.’
Read more here: Quora