The Taxi driver kept complaining, “I’ve been in this country for 6months and the people here are no good. They treat you like aliens and no body wants to be nice to you”.
And then he narrated his ordeal from the border. How after he had been harassed and exploited, they got stranded and he had to help his fellow passengers (from this same country) with transportation, feeding and clothes.
He went on to conclude that after his experience in the country, he’ll never be good to anyone from this country again. In fact, when he goes back to his own country (another West African country), he’ll make the people from this country pay dearly for everything that he has gone through.
We asked him if he had met any good people in this country, if anyone had been nice to him and if anyone had gone out of their way to try to help him, and he answered yes to all of these. If yes, why would he then decide to punish a whole people for the errors of a few of their countrymen? We asked him what his own attitude towards these people was and he said he had to defend himself.
I felt bad because I realised that this is the way a lot of us think and behave, gearing to mete out punishment on someone for the sins of his brothers or her people.
Why can’t we all just try and get along? Why can’t we all just hold hands and hum, hug trees and wear ‘Jesus’ sandals? Why can’t we look beyond the today and think of the bigger picture? Why can’t we all try to broker peace rather than tearing one another to pieces?
We pleaded with our Taxi driver to change his attitude towards these people and expect them to treat him nicely. Like my sister always says, ‘If you expect something, you’ll get it’.
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CELEBRATE AFRICA
Two young women's thoughts and adventures as they travel around africa by road.
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5 comments:
I did say i agree with d 'taxi man' to an extent but i don't go with him all the way. You see, thats one of the major issues we have in Nigeria and Africa as a whole and not until we have a change of heart, then the progress of this continent is at stake.
It is good that you are trying to change people's perception from negativity to something positive. Whether he admitted it or not, I'm sure it made an impact with the taxi driver.
I would say that many of us do the same thing. We are hurt or offended by something that somebody did or said and then we assign it to a group and then the whole group is blamed.
Nice sentiments here. :)
Oluchi,
Well done. I must say you ladies were quicker of the mark than my humble self.
A very well done to the both of you. I am so happy to read of this project and I will be adding you to my blogroll.
A very positive attitude is what has led you to undergo this journey and I pray people will pay attention.
I shall read your past entries and count me as a fan.
God bless you both. God guide you.
First, I agree with babajidesalu - you're much quicker on the mark than I!
Second, it takes guts to argue with a taxi driver. Occasionally I take a taxi somewhere but I'm afraid of arguing with the driver because he or she is the one controlling the car.
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