Public buses: The necessary evil.

I was on the bus thinking about what to eat when I finally get to my destination. I like food, and there’s no denying that. I don’t like jumping on discussions. especially when I’m in an area I’m not too familiar with, and in commercial buses is one of those places where I hate to jump on conversations even though there are many topics relating to religion and politics, but for many reasons, I hate to get involved in the conversation.

_{image source}

On this particular day, I was sitting alone with the thought of what to eat at my destination when this gentle man interrupted my thought. “Do you know that you are very handsome?” he said. Deep down, I was wondering where the conversation was heading. Maybe he was about to link me up with his daughter or perhaps connect me with a modelling company. Lol.

While I was thinking, he interrupted again. “You don’t look like someone from this generation. You fit the description of the prophets described in the holy books. Your beards perfectly connected, your skin glow, and even your smile”. I couldn’t do anything but let him finish and see where the conversation was heading. Amazingly, he didn’t stop until I got to my bus stop. I alighted, paid my fare and this gentleman looked me right in the eyes and said, “you should pay my fare too”. Wait. Why? From where to where? As how? Do I know him? No. Did I even have much to pay an extra? No. I mean, even if I had it, he could’ve asked nicely, yeah? Lol. This is one of those things I hate about boarding public buses.

_{image source}

Public buses are one of the unsafe places to be at anytime of the day. It’s not possible to be in a public bus and ask that your body not be touched. Boundaries are highly unavailable in spaces like this. Talk about how the drivers would want to utilize every little space on the bus to make money without minding the inconvenience that comes with it for the passengers. The more the crowd, the more money they’ll make. Their simple response to why they do that is “if you want convenience, then buy a car”.

In the strive to board a bus as early as possible, you could get robbed. Maybe not at gunpoint, but your pocket will most likely be picked by rush hour thieves if you don’t hold yourself enough. Also, the quest to make more money on the part of the driver will make them drive like they have double lives to live. The

_{image source}

uncontrollable recklessness in their driving is one thing I hate about boarding bus. If I wanted to fly, I would’ve used the plane, right? But their response as usual doesn’t disappoint. “Do you know how much they sell fuel now? The number of trips I make a day will help me recover my money back while also making a profit” is the usual response. But, what about the lives of the people on the bus?

Have you ever been disappointed boarding a public bus? I mean suddenly, the crane and shafts stopped working, or maybe the gear got stuck, or even the ignition doesn't start? You can’t be in a rush and trust a public bus to come to the rescue. The probability of reaching your location at about two hours later is high, considering the many stops the driver would need to make on the way, and the many problems that the unkempt buses could develop.

Public buses are the most accessible and economical means of transportation, however, the best that can happen is having a private ride. Since we don’t have the capacity yet, we unmind the cons of boarding public buses and just flow with the ride.