Taxi Wars
Good Tuesday to all of you,
I imagine that most of you are getting to work about now, having had to warm up your car, scrape off the ice, and I do wish you a great day!
I started my morning by being startled awake by my alarm, and then became more startled when I couldn't find it.. apparently I thought it was a good idea last night to put it across the room. I have been having trouble waking up in a timely fashion, so this was my brilliant plan. It worked though, and I managed to get a taxi/bus to work at 6:50. Why this early hour? Because, dear friends, our lovely transportation system has become the bane of my existence. The issue of speed governors (those devices which keep the taxis from going at ungodly speeds and killing hordes of people) has come up again, and in protest of the high cost at installing these devices (which are worth more than the taxis, most of which have to be push started) many drivers are just refusing to drive. The result is that every single morning I wake to a battle--will I get a ride to work? Won't I? Will I decide to start hitchhiking? NO! have no fear, i have only done that once (or twice, by accident, really--I thought i knew the guy, or that someone did, or that maybe he was a cousin. really). I stand at our stop for awhile, assessing the situation. how many people are also waiting? what will be my chances if there is one seat and I have to fight these people for it? Will I win? I have tried walking to different stops to gain an advantage, I have tried to guess where people might be getting off, and wait there...to no avail.
My solution has been to leave for work earlier, and earlier, and earlier... and soon, I will just decide to sleep at work. I could, of course, decide to walk (which has happened at least once when there were absolutely no taxis at all). i might. i just might. for now though, I just hope and pray that some kind driver will allow me to try and jam myself into the doorway of an already over-crowded bus so that I can get to know a neighbor very, very well as we lurch to and fro over the rutted roads to work.
The battle also happens coming home from work. the other night I stood in the quickly darkening taxi park with at least 70 other people waiting for the bus. As I waited I geared myself up for what was sure to be quite a tussle--trying to beat down old women and small children just to secure a ride home takes work-- : ) kidding, yes, kidding. i am still a card-carrying pacifist (most of the time).
As I was standing there, though, waiting, i spied one of our buses just outside the taxi park, allowing its passengers to disembark before entering the fray of the park. a few people at the fringes of the crowd started sauntering towards the bus (as if we wouldn't catch on-HA!). then I started sprinting. then everyone was sprinting, holding up our dresses and bags, elbows out..we all reached the bus..which was moving, by the way, and by the way, there were still people getting off (or trying to). i lost my balance once, but then regained it, yelped as people uncaringly tried to get in front of me..I braced my arms against the sides of the doorway, effectively blocking my assailants...and grabbed for the handlebars, hoisted myself up the steps into the bus, and raised my arms in excitement..I was going home! I had won a seat on the bus to busega. if only we could all be so lucky...
so think of me, friends, as you head home from work tonight...think of me as I fight and claw my way to work, so that I can do the Lord's work in this blessed country...only to claw my way home again.
Peace!
I imagine that most of you are getting to work about now, having had to warm up your car, scrape off the ice, and I do wish you a great day!
I started my morning by being startled awake by my alarm, and then became more startled when I couldn't find it.. apparently I thought it was a good idea last night to put it across the room. I have been having trouble waking up in a timely fashion, so this was my brilliant plan. It worked though, and I managed to get a taxi/bus to work at 6:50. Why this early hour? Because, dear friends, our lovely transportation system has become the bane of my existence. The issue of speed governors (those devices which keep the taxis from going at ungodly speeds and killing hordes of people) has come up again, and in protest of the high cost at installing these devices (which are worth more than the taxis, most of which have to be push started) many drivers are just refusing to drive. The result is that every single morning I wake to a battle--will I get a ride to work? Won't I? Will I decide to start hitchhiking? NO! have no fear, i have only done that once (or twice, by accident, really--I thought i knew the guy, or that someone did, or that maybe he was a cousin. really). I stand at our stop for awhile, assessing the situation. how many people are also waiting? what will be my chances if there is one seat and I have to fight these people for it? Will I win? I have tried walking to different stops to gain an advantage, I have tried to guess where people might be getting off, and wait there...to no avail.
My solution has been to leave for work earlier, and earlier, and earlier... and soon, I will just decide to sleep at work. I could, of course, decide to walk (which has happened at least once when there were absolutely no taxis at all). i might. i just might. for now though, I just hope and pray that some kind driver will allow me to try and jam myself into the doorway of an already over-crowded bus so that I can get to know a neighbor very, very well as we lurch to and fro over the rutted roads to work.
The battle also happens coming home from work. the other night I stood in the quickly darkening taxi park with at least 70 other people waiting for the bus. As I waited I geared myself up for what was sure to be quite a tussle--trying to beat down old women and small children just to secure a ride home takes work-- : ) kidding, yes, kidding. i am still a card-carrying pacifist (most of the time).
As I was standing there, though, waiting, i spied one of our buses just outside the taxi park, allowing its passengers to disembark before entering the fray of the park. a few people at the fringes of the crowd started sauntering towards the bus (as if we wouldn't catch on-HA!). then I started sprinting. then everyone was sprinting, holding up our dresses and bags, elbows out..we all reached the bus..which was moving, by the way, and by the way, there were still people getting off (or trying to). i lost my balance once, but then regained it, yelped as people uncaringly tried to get in front of me..I braced my arms against the sides of the doorway, effectively blocking my assailants...and grabbed for the handlebars, hoisted myself up the steps into the bus, and raised my arms in excitement..I was going home! I had won a seat on the bus to busega. if only we could all be so lucky...
so think of me, friends, as you head home from work tonight...think of me as I fight and claw my way to work, so that I can do the Lord's work in this blessed country...only to claw my way home again.
Peace!
posted by Christi-Lynn at 4:58 PM
5 Comments:
Yer killin me with these stories CL. The only fighting I have to do is keeping kids in their seats. I always get to drive. Maybe that's your ticket, become a bus driver twice a day. A rider's ticket to get on would be a piece of cheese, or a cookie ... Paul Ca
hotes
Hi Christi-Lynn!! Pradeep&Danielle
I feel your pain Christi-Lynn... well not really since I'm the one with your car :) I miss you!!
Ruth Anne
How did you know that the bus was going where you wanted it to go?
Well, I was just guessing (hoping) that it was the right bus. I think I asked someone next to me, to be sure, after I successfully boarded.
I have wondered (since I don't always asK) occasionally if I am headed home. luckily there is only one mazungu that I know of (me) who rides my bus regularly, so the drivers would probably let me know if i was doing something really stupid.
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