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Journal of African trips

Africa, spring 1999 part III

Agelasto
2004-05-21 18:12:22

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seat somewhere on our bench,
pointing to his reservation parcel, the size of a small book, which now resides on the floor.
He argues with another person on our bench who is sitting where his reservation had
apparently sat. Within a few minutes this argument involves several other people, who
begin discussing the proper procedures for reserving seats (the size of the parcel, the
length of time one can reserve, the importance of claiming one?s seat in a timely manner,
etc.) as if there were a written code known to all. The driver, who is now ready to depart,
starts the engine, but the argument is nowhere close to being settled. He cuts off the
engine. The man who feels he has been denied his rightful place demands a refund. Now,
there are not a lot of rules governing bush taxis, but one thing is certain: NO REFUNDS.
You can sell your ticket or transfer it if you wish, but there is no way that a driver will
ever refund the purchase price. The man?s luggage is on top of the pick-up, under
everyone else?s baggage and the driver refuses to remove it. It is paid for, it is going, he
says. I am expecting a fight to break out at any moment. The only reason there?s no fight
is because the chief antagonist of the displaced person already has a seat and he refuses to
go out the cab to argue with the man who feels he has been denied his rightful place. So
now the entire lot of passengers are arguing with one other. Finally, one little girl who is
occupying a seat is relocated onto the floor and the displaced man squeezes in, next to the
very man with whom only a few seconds earlier he was having the most violent argument.
Fortunately, the confrontation has ceased (which itself is a bit unusual as Africans seem to
enjoy prolonging arguments - of which bargaining is a subset - as a way of occupying their
time). I say, thank God for little girls.

13. It?s ...