When you are using public means of transport like a matatu, you do not have the luxury of comfort that you would have in your personal car. You get to interact with people from different walks of life who may or may not have social etiquette for a public service vehicles
In Kenya, we are not short of awkward moments in matatus. Here is a list of some that you probably have found yourself in or may in a nearby future while using a matatu.
Coughing carelessly.
After the covid-19 pandemic, one would think that after all the lessons we learnt on covering our mouth when sneezing and coughing would be head knowledge and basic by now. Although you still find passengers who cough and sneeze aimlessly without covering their mouths and are unapologetic and completely oblivious about it.
Loud phone conversations.
This is quite irritating especially when the person on the loud phone call os sitting right next to you and somehow, such calls never seem to end, they are usually the longest calls and most probably are on their vernacular.
The silent fart.
Well, this should be considered a terrorist attack. Innocent lives are hurt and are faced to withstand the smell on silence as the perpetrators sit in silence prentending to be affected by the stinky smell as well.
The ‘poker’.
This are passengers who poke other passengers on their quest to try to get the attention of the conductor, since they have a back seat or just short arms to poke the conductor directly. They have zero chills and can poke you aggressively at you head, shoulder or arm.
The 1000 bob.
Well, this is usually stressful to the passenger who has 1000 shillings and no money in their phone and the fare is small price like 50 shillings. Conductors always take their money so rudely and try negotiating if the passenger could pay through other means that will not equate to them having to look for change.
The far back seat.
This seat is usually uncomfortable when you are near your alighting destination and cannot reach the conductor and seem to have stiff passengers next to you who would not help notify the conductor that you will want to alight. You are left to your own mechanism of yelling at the conductor or worse, trying to be one by hitting the matatu to signal to the driver a passenger needs to alight.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
