If you’ve lived in Lagos long enough, you’ll know that danfo rides are never just about getting from one place to another. Sometimes, the real journey is surviving the driver, the conductor, and the chaos that comes with both.
These are a few experiences from people:
Joshua, 26:
We wear white on Mondays at my workplace, but I intentionally made it a norm to not wear my white from home ever since the conductor used my shirt to clean his hands and still told me: “why you sef go dey wear white this early momo. You no know say na Lagos be this? Washing machine go wash am well, no worry”. Like his father got me one.
Rasheed, 29:
I will never forget the day one conductor asked me to lap him for a while. He wasn’t even polite or apologetic about it.
So that day, he needed to close the door but he knew there wouldn’t be space for him again, so he asked me to lap him and after passing where the LASTMA officials were, he would re-open the door and resume hanging on the bus. I was stumped but I lapped him o. That scene can never leave my head.
Ruth, 25:
I can’t forget the day I told one conductor: “Conductor, I’ll alight at Law school”, and unluckily for me, I was the only passenger in the bus to alight at that junction. Omo, he didn’t answer o. Even the driver kept driving. The conductor legit said “Oyinbo mi, I no go school o. If you like no talk the one wey I hear”. I started shouting o wa, o wa. I later came down at Sandfill o. My steeze reduced like mad.
Caleb, 23:
I got a graduate trainee offer in Lagos and had to relocate from Calabar. I left the house with my friend who was also heading my way. I didn’t believe my eyes when I saw the queue at Charley boy bus stop. I had never fought for a bus in my life…that day was my first. Despite getting to the bus stop by 6am.
Goriola, 26:
My worst experience has to be with those red buses. I honestly wonder how people survive riding them every day. That afternoon, KAI had just released me after arresting me for crossing the express. As if that embarrassment was not enough already, the bus I entered later broke down on the road. Because it was one of those big buses, they needed more people to help push it, and somehow I was recruited into the suffering too.
I left my bag on my seat so nobody would take my space and went outside to help push. After pushing for a while, the engine finally came back on and everybody rushed back inside. It was later I checked my bag and realised my phone was gone. I almost ran mad. I raised an alarm immediately, and the conductors started mocking me instead. One of them even said, “You be mumu nau. Shey make we help you find the phone because you push motor?”
They laughed at me like crazy. I actually cried that day.
Fawas, 27:
I boarded a bus one evening, from Chisco to Oshodi. On getting to Falomo, the driver and conductor began to exchange positions. It was so dramatic. Then one woman asked what they were doing, and the driver casually replied that the conductor was still learning how to drive and had only recently moved to Lagos, so he was trying to help him get familiar with Lagos roads. Literally using the lives of over 15 people in the bus to play.
Sarah, 28:
I was heading to Ikeja from Palmgroove that very day. The conductor was exchanging words with a woman at the back and he was directly over me…shirtless. I couldn’t bear the constant spit and armpit smell, so I told him it’s okay or he should move away from me. He left the woman and faced me. Of all the insults, the one that pained me the most was when I gave money and he said “see as the money take resemble you. Patch patch”. I didn’t even say anything; I just ignored.
Do you also have an experience to share? We would like to hear from you in the comment section.
