THE NIGHT TRAFFIC TAUGHT ME A LESSON

 

I was thinking this morning.... Lagos, in South West Nigeria, is notorious for its traffic, but the traffic jam of last Wednesday was unprecedented. It had rained heavily that morning before I set out from Lekki to VI. Due to the anticipated flood and closure of Independence Bridge, I decided on what I thought was best, rely on Google Maps. Halfway into the trip, the heavens opened, and the rains poured again. Traffic had built up, and Google Maps diverted me towards Bar beach. I drove on partially flooded roads besides Section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway still under construction.

After driving to where I thought was the end, I noticed the connection back to the main road had been fenced off, but Google Maps was not aware. As I made a U-turn back to where I started, I understood the proverb that says, "Pastor wey dey pray for mad person no dey close eye." I should have known that too few cars on that back road was a red flag. I eventually got to VI after 3 hours, and I thought my nightmare was over. I was so wrong.

Having completed by business at VI, I thought about by return trip. Before I set out back home at about 7 p.m., I decided to give Google Maps a second chance. Instead of turning left towards Eko Hotel, Google Maps directed me to turn right towards Bonny Camp, with the traffic indicating blue all the way to Lekki. I had not driven 100m when I ran into a traffic jam like I had never before experienced. Every junction was a mad house. The two-lane road had become four. Military personnel were driving in the opposite direction. In the end, we were all stuck and going nowhere. As I wondered how we got here, I recalled the proverb, "Do you know who I am? Do you know who I am?..Na so hold up take dey start."

After about 5 hours, I had covered a modest distance of 1km. I brought out my phone and checked on Google Maps one more time. The roads were still blue. It was then it dawned on me that Google Maps did not anticipate a zero movement traffic, so it interpreted it as the roads being free of traffic. Chai! Google Maps had put me in one chance twice in one day. This time, I was not too angry because "Person wey don faint before no be stranger to death."

Though the traffic was gruelling, I kept hoping it would clear up, and I would zoom all the way home. When it was past midnight, I estimated that if I continued in that path, I won't get home till 5 am. Accepting that I had made the wrong move, again, I decided to make a u-turn. I had literally lived the proverb, "E go beta, e go beta, na im make camel still dey carry load."

After making a u-turn again, against the direction of Google Maps, I made a left turn and was expecting a clear path. Alas, a reckless driver had left his lane and was driving against the oncoming vehicles. He drove to where I was with nowhere to go. Before I could scream at his madness, I saw a military man walk to him and commanded him to reverse back immediately. Without argument, he reversed. I realised the driver had learnt the lesson that, "You no need fork and knife to chop slap."

I eventually got home by 1.30 am, thanks to my decision to turn back. I later understood that those who continued on the path Google Maps recommended did not get out of the traffic till about 4.30 am. Despite the loads of lessons I learnt from that experience, I knew it was just a bad day for me. Like they say, "Cockroach wey jam fowl, jam bad luck."

Many have wondered why people still live in Lagos after such terrible experiences with traffic. I thought about it myself, and the only answer I could come up with is, "Pikin wey wan chop party rice, no dey fear dance." Psalms 34:19 comes to mind.

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey