Ratanga Junction?? No, that was not the Cobra… I just stepped onto a local bus in Peru. I literally had to stand still and regain focus after my first bus trip in Lima as my head was spinning. The local bus offers a unique adventure and plenty of amusement for just one or two soles.
In South Africa when a vehicle is overloaded the driver can expect to be pulled off the road by a traffic officer and receive a fine. Not in Lima! The bus is never full and personal space is a foreign concept or even none existing. If you are lucky you can get a seat but preference is given to the elderly and pregnant women so you might need to give up your seat. I am not good at spotting the elderly or pregnant women so I would just not take a seat and rather find a space to hang on to.
Whether in a crowded bus,squashed between people and hanging on for my life as every second seems like a possible accident, at least I was on the road without being a burden to anyone.
I was called an enslaved person by someone in the week because I do not have a car and I need people to drive me around. Unfortunately that person was correct! In Lima many people do not have a car. I went to go listen to Peruvian music with a friend and when I asked him where his car was he just laughed. “I cannot drive and I am not planning on learning to drive”,he answered… “I take the bus or a taxi and by the way, it is dangerous to drive in Lima”. He does not have a drivers licence and he does not know how to drive but unlike me who does have a drivers licence, he is not enslaved, he is not a burden to anyone and he is free to come and go as he please. Although amusing and life threatening because of the bad driving, the one thing that Lima has that South Africa does not have is public transport.
I took the train twice. It was crowded but on time and neat. I only got to drive in a mototaxi once. It was fun and I felt like a tourist. I had the honour of taking all sorts of busses on several occasions as well as car taxis. Car taxis is such a treat, you give them a call and they come pick you up at your home and to your destination you go. All these forms of transport were more than affordable.
I am not in Peru anymore. I am in South Africa and because I do not have a car I am an enslaved woman, depended on everyone around me. I spend at least one hour a day to try and organise how I will move from point A to B. It is the thorn in my flesh. It is what keeps me humble.
I would lie if I say that there is no form of public transport in South Africa; there are taxis and busses and trains. The last time I was in parliament, public transport was a point of discussion as members of parliament was concerned about people spending too much time on the road and too little time with their families. The public transport system is just a bit time consuming, dangerous and complicated. If I want to go to Stellenbosch using public transport, I still need someone to drive me to the train station in Wellington. My other option would be to take a taxi to Paarl and then take the train to Stellenbosch. However there is no public transport in the evenings.
Today I am thinking of all the South Africans who do not have a car and for that is enslaved, depended and
a burden like me. As well as those who get up much earlier than other people to go through all the admin and complications to actually get to their destination. I do however want to thank all my friends that do drive me around even if it is sacrificial to them. I am forever thankful. I know, you are probably thinking why do you not have a car? Just because many people have cars, does not mean that a car is affordable to all. My answer is simple: A car is too expensive!
One day I will know freedom in this area. And when I am president, I will work hard at ensuring a working, safe and affordable public transport system in South Africa…lol
In South Africa when a vehicle is overloaded the driver can expect to be pulled off the road by a traffic officer and receive a fine. Not in Lima! The bus is never full and personal space is a foreign concept or even none existing. If you are lucky you can get a seat but preference is given to the elderly and pregnant women so you might need to give up your seat. I am not good at spotting the elderly or pregnant women so I would just not take a seat and rather find a space to hang on to.
Whether in a crowded bus,squashed between people and hanging on for my life as every second seems like a possible accident, at least I was on the road without being a burden to anyone.
I was called an enslaved person by someone in the week because I do not have a car and I need people to drive me around. Unfortunately that person was correct! In Lima many people do not have a car. I went to go listen to Peruvian music with a friend and when I asked him where his car was he just laughed. “I cannot drive and I am not planning on learning to drive”,he answered… “I take the bus or a taxi and by the way, it is dangerous to drive in Lima”. He does not have a drivers licence and he does not know how to drive but unlike me who does have a drivers licence, he is not enslaved, he is not a burden to anyone and he is free to come and go as he please. Although amusing and life threatening because of the bad driving, the one thing that Lima has that South Africa does not have is public transport.
I took the train twice. It was crowded but on time and neat. I only got to drive in a mototaxi once. It was fun and I felt like a tourist. I had the honour of taking all sorts of busses on several occasions as well as car taxis. Car taxis is such a treat, you give them a call and they come pick you up at your home and to your destination you go. All these forms of transport were more than affordable.
I am not in Peru anymore. I am in South Africa and because I do not have a car I am an enslaved woman, depended on everyone around me. I spend at least one hour a day to try and organise how I will move from point A to B. It is the thorn in my flesh. It is what keeps me humble.
I would lie if I say that there is no form of public transport in South Africa; there are taxis and busses and trains. The last time I was in parliament, public transport was a point of discussion as members of parliament was concerned about people spending too much time on the road and too little time with their families. The public transport system is just a bit time consuming, dangerous and complicated. If I want to go to Stellenbosch using public transport, I still need someone to drive me to the train station in Wellington. My other option would be to take a taxi to Paarl and then take the train to Stellenbosch. However there is no public transport in the evenings.
Today I am thinking of all the South Africans who do not have a car and for that is enslaved, depended and
a burden like me. As well as those who get up much earlier than other people to go through all the admin and complications to actually get to their destination. I do however want to thank all my friends that do drive me around even if it is sacrificial to them. I am forever thankful. I know, you are probably thinking why do you not have a car? Just because many people have cars, does not mean that a car is affordable to all. My answer is simple: A car is too expensive!
One day I will know freedom in this area. And when I am president, I will work hard at ensuring a working, safe and affordable public transport system in South Africa…lol