Clueless!

I don't know how the people who live here do it. It's almost as if they have grown an immunity to the difficult situations here. You need to be here to understand what I am talking about. Remember, I talked about relocating and having to assume work at a new station? Well, yesterday was the day I finally got to assume duty.

Sandy .R., Unsplash

Would you believe it if I told you that I stood at the bus stop for two hours without boarding any bus? Join me as I take you through my plight.

The first ten minutes, there were no buses going my way. Five minutes later, a bus came along and for a distance that the fare was usually 300 naira (half a dollar), I was flabbergasted and it was inflated to 400 naira (I don't know how to convert that amount into dollars so please do your own research). I was furious at the inflated price. I told the driver that it was a rip off and no way on earth was I going to board that bus. The driver told me to get lost and drove away. I mean who tells an officer to get lost? That happens only in Lagos State.

I had to wait another thirty minutes before another bus came along. Excitedly, I walked up to the bus and asked how much the fare was before boarding and to my greatest surprise, the driver wouldn't accept 300 naira. There is no way I would let them rip me off. I mean, I am an officer and it's my duty to make sure things work the way they are supposed to.

Allowing this rip off is how corruption starts. If I accept to pay that amount and the next five people do the same, it will become a constant and the normal fare will no longer be 300 but 400 naira. I had to be an advocate for others who can't afford to pay such high rates. I told those standing with me not to pay that amount. I encouraged them to wait with me and that soon we would find a bus with a good Nigerian as the driver who would accept the normal rate of 300 naira.

Johen Redman, Unsplash

Ladies and gentlemen, an hour and thirty minutes later, I was the only one waiting at my bus stop with no bus in sight.I don't know how the rest of the people disappeared, seems they decided to break the trip. Unfortunately, I'm still new and not familiar with how to break the trip. The sun was hot and blinding. I was perspiring. My back ached from my heavy back bag and my feets were cramping.

Luckily for me, two hours fifteen minutes later, that is counting from the time I got to the bus stop, at exactly 9:20am, a bus going in my direction came along. The driver said the fare was 500 naira because of traffic. Did I object? What do you think? Am I the Messiah that has been sent to change Lagos? I dare not. I quietly entered the bus and happily paid 500 naira. At least my feet and my back got to rest.

But now that I think of it, I think I'll try again. Change doesn't happen in one day and change begins with me. These bus drivers need to learn to stop extorting people.

What do you think?