Taxicab Confessions

Disclaimer: the content of this website is mine alone and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. government, the Peace Corps, or the South African Government.

The mode of transportation that I most commonly use here is the public taxi, also called a kombi. These taxis can hold 12-15 passengers, and are the often the most convenient and cost-effective way to travel to shopping towns and other villages in the area.  In the village one can signal for the taxi to stop by pointing the direction he or she wishes to go, if there is room on the taxi and it is going the direction indicated it will stop to allow the passenger to board.  In the shopping towns there is a taxi rank in which the passenger will look for the taxi that is going to his or her desired village.  The public taxis have become one of my teachers during my time in South Africa.  Following are a few of the lessons I have learned so far. 

The most important lesson taught by this transportation mode is patience.  The taxi will not leave the rank until it is completely full, which can take some time.  During training several volunteers and I waited for a taxi to fill for two-and-a-half hours in the taxi rank. We didn’t dare leave the taxi during this wait, as once the taxi is full it quickly leaves.  Luckily we were waiting in a bigger city, so vendors were selling small luxury items such as grapes and plums.  Not only is there a wait for the taxi to fill, but often there are frequent stops to let passengers on and off.  Basically, being in a hurry and having any type of control over the situation go out the window when travelling this way.

Another important lesson is not to carry too much baggage.  Passengers on the taxi are forced to sit very closely with limited leg room.  Whatever you bring with you must fit under the seat in front of you, under your legs, or on your lap.  Carrying items on laps can be extremely uncomfortable during the summer, when the heat and humidity make the taxi feel like a mobile sauna.  This makes grocery shopping super fun, taking into consideration how heavy your items are and how much you can fit in one reusable bag while filling your shopping cart.

A third lesson is to know how to politely refuse marriage proposals.  For some reason there is almost always at least one man at the taxi rank who suggests that he and I should get married.  I have a fairly low tolerance for such behavior, but I dare not risk upsetting someone who holds the power to throw me off of the taxi (no way I am walking home!).  I find that pretending I don’t understand what is being said is a pretty effective way to discourage, while not offending, the would-be paramours. 

A really big fourth lesson is if there is a seat near a window, grab it!  Even in the summer many passengers do not like to have the windows of the taxi open.  I have heard some say that it is because many believe that they can catch tuberculosis or the flu through open windows.  During the winter months closed windows aren’t so bad, but in the summer it is unbearable!  Imagine being squished between two people with a lap full of groceries and absolutely no air coming in for forty five minutes…you exit the taxi soaked in sweat!

A fifth lesson that I learned just last week is to not sit in the front seat.  That extra leg room is certainly enticing, but sometimes it is better not to know what is happening on the road.  I had the misfortune of a front row seat when a bakkie (pick-up truck) in front of the taxi I was riding hit a dog.  I was a little traumatized, and possibly made a sympathetic sound.  The death of animals does not seem to have the same effect on people here that it does on people in the United States, and I definitely received some strange looks in response to my reaction.  Since you have no control anyway, better to ride toward the back of the taxi and stay blissfully ignorant to what is happening on the road in front of you. 

These lessons are just a few of the lessons that I have learned while using the public taxis.  I found them overwhelming and confusing at first, but am becoming increasingly more comfortable using this system for my transportation needs.  It can almost be a fun way to travel…as long as you aren’t going too far!