In Uganda traffic rules are more like guidelines, unless the traffic police are out. On our way to Masaka last Sunday June 8th we took a private taxi, aka a mini-van. We learned the week before that we would be shoved in with other people, so I sat half on Clair’s lap half on the windowsill to fit a women and her two daughters into the cab. At one point our driver pulled over to the side of the road and got out of the car. A few moments later a traffic officer approached the window. His white uniform gleamed with the contrast of his dark skin. We worried that we would be in trouble, but he just said good morning and we were on our way.
As we drove we could see the front of the storm that raged over Masaka. Courtney made fun of me in the morning for wearing a long sleeve shirt, but I got the last laugh as we waited outside for Café Frickadellen to open for lunch. Jenna was feeling sick so after lunch, and an unsuccessful attempt to find non-shiny fabric, we loaded ourselves onto a crowded matatu. We sat scrunched against each other, but by then we had become used to the routine.
What we were not used to was the technique that the matatu drivers used to avoid getting ticketed by the traffic cops. Warned from a signal from an oncoming matatu, our driver pulled off to the side of the road, loaded three of the men onto two bodas paid the drivers. They then moved the rest of the passengers around so that Eliza was in the front, and there were three people in each of the rows. Once they arranged everyone they continued to drive. Once we were a few minuets past the traffic cops we pulled over to the side of the road, and the three men who they’d put on the boda climbed back into the matatu, and minus Eliza staying in the front, we all went back to our crowded seats.
We all burst out laughing. The rearranged us in order to avoid being pulled over by the traffic cops. This happened two more times on our drive. Eliza remained in the front like an amulet to ward off bad luck. The whole scenario seemed so ridiculous to us, and so brilliant. We couldn’t laugh hard enough the whole drive. I’m sure writing about it cannot do the scenario justice. I wish you all cold have seen it.
