Over a fortnight ago, it was quite late, but we needed to buy something to munch on —I was with a friend, and it was for hunger sake.

We needed to buy some things for beverage and... I think bread to go with it, and biscuits. It's kind of fussy now, the buys.

He'd gone to one shop which was closed, as may be expected. It was almost 12am. But Lagos in it's character could still be awake —very much awake, depending on what neighbourhood you lived in.

This time, we decided to go again, check some other stalls that may be open. The first was already locked. It was now just past 12am. However, we could still see pockets of lights here and there, indicating possible shop activities, but all closed.

Looking up ahead, it was a dead quietness of no activity. I asked him if we should check out a street off the road, just a few paces from our exploring position. He said no. That was the first place he'd gone to when he first came out himself.

The cars, and buses and tricycles moving about gave one a sense of a busy-ness in that night, as with every other night. It made one think hopefully. And hope turned out favourably when we spotted the "aboki" man whose table still held provisions. But just before we took the few steps to get across to the seller on the other side, an incident was already building up. There seemed to be an obvious altercation.

Yes. This is past midnight!

Suddenly traffic had built up. There was more cars than should be held up at such hour of the night. Lights were collecting into a stage set. Honkings and the attendant bickering that should only be expected before one could make head or tail of the disturbances.

There were two parties notably. The car driver and the bus driver. But they spoke exchanged non-pleasantries in Yoruba all through, and I could not make out what was being said however loudly, as I hardly understood the language, let alone speak it. Luckily, my friend did. But first, we had to be done with our business before any interest in the free late night show.

Having satisfied our needs for the night, I asked, "Freedom, please what are they saying?" as we stopped briefly, observing how what seemed to be a little misunderstanding turned into a serious cause of traffic, taking up several meters on the road which was currently under construction, making any alternative rerouting impossible.

These people had to leave their cars to come end the dispute so that they can go home, else it would have ended later than it did.

All cars had to wait it out. It would take long, but it would end, surely. Though unpleasant, but surely.

Freedom explained to me by interpretation what had happened. I was no more surprised than I was amused. I thought about it as I observed generally what I felt was a case of lack of professional conduct with the average Lagos driver. The public bus drivers were more notorious for their careless and nonchalant dispositions on the road, unmindful of other road users.

I recounted to Freedom one of my most disturbing experiences  driving in Lagos, as we took the short walk back to the house. The incident of that night was really funny to me. The bus driver was not really at fault, but in trying to act fast and smart he instigated the anger of the car owner whose car was behind him, and he'd slightly hit rolling back. A simple apology would have sufficed. All would have ended just as immediately as it had started. But no.

The man in white on blue is the victim of the night. Notice the faulty front fender below the driver's side headlight.

The typical Lagos bus driver feels he has nothing to lose and doesn't give a hoof about a thing — that attitude alone is, in my own estimation, responsible for over half of the cause of road traffic in Lagos, with exception to major accidents, of which they still own a major stake.

In closing...

For one singular reason you'll almost never tire of seeing road and traffic dramas in Lagos State. It is dynamic! There'll always be something interesting about it. Why? Because you can always see clearly from the outside how it should not be an issue. But Lagos is never complete without giving you something interesting to wonder about.

Lagos generally seems to thrive by complicating the simple things and amplifying the complex things! Like we would say in local parlance, we meuve! (We move.)

A very special thank you to you if you read through... Thank you for your time. I'll see you shortly.

CN Humphrey.