My unforgettable Lagos bus adventure

---

---

Movement by public transport in my country is almost always a memorable experience. Especially here where I currently reside. Lagos is one of, if not the most populated city in Nigeria. Thanks to the large population there's plenty of vehicles and with plenty of vehicles comes congestion and traffic, with congestion and traffic comes road rage, and bus drivers (Danfo) are often always the angriest people. A couple of them drink which I must admit isn't good driving behavior, but somehow we survive.

I'll be sharing one of my most memorable experiences with public transport. A bus (Danfo) to be precise.

I remember this day like it was just yesterday,even though it happened when I was just 14 years old. I, my mum and her sister were going to the largest market in Lagos (eko market) to buy things for Christmas. I'd gone there a couple times before, but I always felt anxious because I was told it was a notorious place for pickpockets and thieves. For that reason I asked my mum to help me keep my phone in her bag. I also added that she helped me keep my wallet, but she declined claiming there wasn't space in her bag. I decided I'd just pay special attention to the wallet and hopefully I wouldn't get pickpocketed.

There were a lot of people boarding a bus so it was a struggle to get on, there was lots of pushing and struggling but eventually we all got onboard. Although because of all the struggle I couldn't sit next to my aunt and mum. I was in the back seat and they were near the door.

After a while we got to our destination and that's when something crazy happened. I'm not sure if the driver was drunk or angry, but he just started screaming in Yoruba that we come down quickly. My mum and Aunt came down, but as I was struggling to pass, the driver started the engine and zoomed off. I could hear my mum and aunt shout that he should stop but he didn't, I also shouted, but he didn't answer me. One of the other passengers told me that the driver couldn't stop at that place as it wasn't a stop, he also reassured me that the last bus stop was a trekkable distance to my original stop and that all I had to do was walk back and go meet my family there. He seemed honest so I was quite calm. But then, in my mind I was insulting the bus driver for stressing me and my family that afternoon.

Sure enough I got to the bus stop and it looked trekkable. But then he suggested that I follow the other path so I wouldn't be walking on the highway. It seemed a sensible idea so I followed that path. I got back to the bus stop and my family wasn't there. It was then I realized they had probably gone to the bus stop.

"I should have just followed the highway." I thought to myself.

Rather than walk back to the bus stop I asked for directions and entered a bus back home. Luckily the other buses I boarded didn't have mad drivers.

My mum and her sister were worried sick, and were even angry at me for not following the highway back. They couldn't buy anything again that day. Luckily nothing happened to me, but from that day, whenever I board a bus I always stay next to whoever I boarded with no matter what.

~THANKS FOR READING~

_{Cover image by Seyi Owolabi from Unsplash}