Commute

Now that we've moved to Westlands, both Jill and I are using matatus (local minivans used for transport) and buses more frequently to get around the city. It is a refreshing change from our previous situation of having to drive ourselves everywhere! In order to use the bus, I have had to master the art of boarding and exiting while the bus is still moving. I don't exactly know why, but I imagine that the time element or laws dictating proper bus stops influence this habit. For example, downtown the drivers have to keep their vehicle moving, because the local police harass them, beating the sides of the bus with billy clubs in order to keep the flow of traffic moving. Because of this fact, passengers have to walk beside the moving vehicle, grab the handle bar and confidently put a foot on the first step. Large crowds perform this feat, which means that each rider has to elbow other riders out of the way if he wants to reach his destination.

Although it may be difficult to believe, exiting a moving bus is actually more complicated than this boarding process. I learned the hard way that the left foot should hit the pavement first. On one of my first journeys, we were approaching my "stop" (which should probably be called, a "slow" instead), and a Kenyan man confidently stepped out in front of me, seamlessly exiting the moving vehicle. I followed, quick on his heals, trying to match his Kenyan know-how. Unfortunately, I landed right foot first, and my momentum from the bus slammed me into the pavement. I had several cuts, ripped my dusty jeans, and bruised my ego, but, otherwise, made it through the experience unscathed. Since this mishap, I have successfully mastered this art, though I still feel a bit nervous each time I leave the bus... "Left foot first," has become my mantra each time I exit. --nate