“Driver drop me, driver drop me!”

I don’t know why I haven’t written this loooonnng ago? Come to think of it I got the moxie to do this Trotro Drama blog after witnessing this incident.

After queuing for what seemed like forever at the 37 station to catch a bus home and sitting through one of the worst traffic jams in this part of the Sahara, my ever wandering mind couldn’t resist coming up the next bad scenario to cap it all.

—what if this bus starts overheating? or the clutch burned?

—what if the engine died and the bus has to be pushed?

All the above were possibilities if you’ve had some experience with trotros and the conditions were right; grinding bumper to bumper traffic tend to expose these weak vehicles.

Thankfully non of these things happened, actually, my luck got better. I got a private show of sorts.

This dude sitting next to me has been sleeping all through the trip and suddenly roused, looking out of the bus bewilderingly in search of a landmark to orient himself. Squinting hard but still unsuccessfully he called out to the mate sitting 45 degrees behind him and this conversation ensued:

Passenger: Mate! Mate! are we at Achimota yet?

Mate: We pass Achimota

Passenger: Didn’t I tell you I’ll drop off at Achimota? You took Achimota fare and you forgot to tell me when we got to Achimota

Mate: Why you blame me? [aside] He want insult me and if I insult am some, he go say mate people be bad

Passenger: Because it is your job

Mate: You pay only transportation, now you dey bed, why me I no sabey sleep some?

[This exchange happened within a space of a minute] [I’m smiling to myself all through the exchange]

I could hear the passenger’s mind ticking in contemplation of whether to get off at Lapaz or midway.

THEN

The passenger blurts out “DRIVER DROP ME, DRIVER DROP ME” [drawing everyone’s attention as the driver pulls over]

He mutters and shakes his head as he gets down, “Can’t people sleep on the bus anymore?”

[All the passengers burst into laughter]