"Driver drop me!" tales of a Nigerian commuter

One of the most common and accessible means of public transportation in Africa is the commercial motorbus. They are often called different names from one location to another. In Lagos State, Nigeria the common motorbuses are either the "Danfo" or the larger "Molue" with their characteristic yellow colour. In my state of residence the common motorbus popularly referred to as "tuke tuke".

The "tuke tuke" are ordinarily buses which ought to have an ideal sitting capacity of 8 to 9 persons including the driver. However the "tuke tuke" are commonly modified to transport at least 10 persons including the driver. This makes travelling in them somewhat uncomfortable especially over long distances.

It so happened that a while back while on an official assignment at my previous place of work, I boarded one of such vehicles. Coincidentally the vehicle I boarded on my return trip was the same one I had commuted in on my way to the point of the assignment.

A little distance from where I joined the vehicle, a young school boy was about to board the same bus but didn't have up to the amount required as the fare.He approached the driver explaining his situation and pleading to be considered. The driver replied without the characteristic shouting,curses or face frowning which we have come to associate with them, saying"Ovbie school" ( meaning school child in one of our local dialects) talk to my conductor.

The conductor then also heard the boy out while smiling (without also frowning,shouting or cursing) and agreed to allow him board the vehicle. He thereafter enaged the boy in a friendly conversation. I was amazed and pleased at the series of events which culminated with the boy making a friendly gesture with his hand and expressing his appreciation to the driver and the conductor at the point of "dropping"which is a local coinage for alighting from a vehicle.

Another day, another time I boarded another commercial bus where the driver who was close to his final stop with few passengers on board had picked up some kids on their way home from school. You know kids as they are. They probably wanted to save some of the transport money to buy some snacks later on, about four of them boarded the vehicle with the intention of paying for only one seat. This meant that two would "lap" while the other twowould sit on the "attachment" ( Those of us who were of school age with other siblings at the same time and the family car so happens to be indisposed can relate with this).

What the driver did next literally shocked me. He nicely asked the children sitting on the "attachment" to take places in the comfortable seats which were unoccupied. Some might argue that it was because the driver was close to his final stop and that is why he acted that way but i beg to differ because I have seen drivers who vehemently refuse to display such acts of kindness even if the distance is from one electric pole to another.

I have also boarded a vehicle where the driver engaged the passengers in a very civil and light hearted conversation (not the usual harsh and brutish banter we've come to know them for). Rather ironically a female passenger in the vehicle due to what I'll term a little dispute over the fare, acted in a manner which I have come to expect from the drivers and conductors. She was raising her voice and pouring insults on the duo of the driver and the conductor.

The reason why i decided to include this last incident is to drive home the point that just the same way we can have unruly drivers and conductors, we can also have passengers who also put up such behaviours.Indeedone cap does not fit all nor does one shoe size fit all.

Let us learn and try to relate with people on a per person basis.Lets not crucify a whole religion,group,tribe, profession or trade because one of its members whether intentionally or otherwise decided to act in bad or evil manner.

Shukran

Danke

Merci

Gracias

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for reading.