taksi en onda (taxis and motorbikes)

Public transportation is a way to get around, a great place to practice Krio and a prime place for a pick-up. After all they have a truly captive audience. The other day, my motorbike driver took ‘captive’ to another level informing me that he would not take me to my destination unless I gave him my phone number. Last week alone I had three marriage proposals from taxi drivers. Upon my refusal their first response is always “is this because I am black?" Men take note, threatening kidnapping and proposing marriage before asking such trivial factoids as names is not a good way to find a wife.

Taxis are usually small compacts that honk relentlessly if there is anything resembling space in or even on the car (yes, outside of the city it is perfectly acceptable for people to sit on the car). Keep in mind, room for another paying passenger is not constrained by our western requirement of personal space. No one blinks an eye when you cram 7 or 8 people into a small compact we would reserve for 4.

Yesterday, I think we actually broke a record. In the back seat we had four adults and then two kids, probably 6-8 year olds, on laps (children do not pay when they are with an adult and thus do not get a seat). In the front seat there were two adults in the passenger seat along with a baby and a toddler (no child safety laws here) and then the driver’s seat had the driver and another passenger. Yes, count it, that is TWELVE people in a small compact! Did I mention the trunk had 4 chickens and a goat?!

Efficiency is the name of the game. Really it is a simple equation, the more people they can fit in and the faster they can get someplace the more money they make. Taxi riding is not for the faint of heart. It seems like you are on a high speed chase, racing down the road speeding past cars, motorbikes, podapodas and endless pedestrians with little regard.

Just when I thought I knew what to expect, hold on and brace myself for a wild ride, I get a curve ball. A driver who seemed to embrace the attitude, “it is not about the destination but the journey.” The other night my driver stopped to pee, bought a fish sandwich on the beach followed it with a soda from the next vendor, added a kabob a little further down then stopped to pee again all before dropping me off a mere 5K down the road. So much for starting to know what is going on, Sierra Leone is full of surprises!