Taxi Survival 101

Picture in your mind a nice yellow cab with the driver sitting in the front seat. You sit in the back, and there is some type of divider up between you and him. There is a meter that tells you how much you are going to have to pay. It is a set amount depending only on how far you are going. You are the only passenger in the car unless you are traveling with someone you know. There is plenty of room for you and no need to be touching anyone else in the cab. Now completely discard this picture and erase it from your memory. It is nothing like a South African taxi which is not really a taxi at all. It is more of a small bus or large van with many people on it. The driver is allowed to charge you whatever he wants no matter how far you are going…you should hope you get on a nice one that is cheaper. Getting on one is a whole other story. To even ride one in the first place, you must know what sign to flash them in order to get where you want. One finger for one direction, three fingers for another, and a strange wave to get to the mall. Once you are on it, you will likely be sitting half on top of at least one person while someone crams in next to you. You also must pay close attention and be able to yell, “Next robot!” in order to get off at the correct stop and not be carried to some crazy place. You must be a member of the taxi mafia in order to drive a taxi, and if you do drive, you better not steal another driver’s route or else there will be serious consequences. All in all, though, the taxis are not that bad and are pretty good at getting us to the largest mall in the southern hemisphere, Greenstone.
Mary (a volunteer here) and I were on our way to the mall a couple weeks ago on one of these lovely taxis. On this particular taxi, you had to shut the door just right or it would not stay shut. A man climbed on and began complaining to the driver in another language about his “raggedy” taxi. The driver then proceeded to make the man depart from the taxi because he took offense to the attack on his “raggedy” taxi. Once the man’s feet were planted firmly on solid ground, the driver yelled, “I don’t see your taxi anywhere!” as we sped off. I must admit that it was quite entertaining!

Prayer Requests:
Our Bible study group on Thursday nights that the five girls who came last week will return and that my roommates and I will find guidance on the right curriculum.
The youth that they will begin to talk less and listen more on Friday nights and Sunday mornings.
Our team that we will be able to work together effectively and plan for the upcoming three week holiday for the youth.

Side Notes:
If you say, “Excuse me,” people think you want to talk to them, and they do not move out of your way. They simply stand there waiting for you to say something.
If you say, “Sorry,” it means you want someone to move out of your way.
I saw a sign the other day while riding through a neighborhood that had a large exclamation point on it and below it said, “Are you being followed?”
There is also a sign for KFC that says, “KFC 1 km back.” In other words, you passed our restaurant and we would like for you to turn around and come back.