Taxi commute and the 50c drama

Depending on taxis to get around is not a cool thing, timewise, however the conversations and drama on the way to our destination are entertaining.

I take a taxi from Etete township to Ballito every day, and the 50c change drama between the conductor and passengers is what entertains me the most.

From Etete to Ballito, we pay R9.50 and we usually give a R10 note or more. Most of the time the conductor will run short of 50c pieces to give change to the 15 or more passengers.

So this morning, the conductor, Sbusiso, said with an unfriendly tone before we could pay. “I do not have 50c.”

Then the drama started. Londiwe shouted from the back seat, “Is that our problem? I need my 50c, because you will not take me if I don’t have 50c.”

“It’s your job to have change and do not talk to us in a rude manner, my boy,” that was Nomzamo, an elderly lady who works as a domestic worker in Ballito.

The driver, Mzamo, then stopped at the Sasol garage in Shakaskraal to fill up petrol and get the change.

“We are late and you are wasting our time, you could have done all this before picking us up. Please make it fast,” shouted Thobekile.

“We Mah! If you are late, I am on time and I will not tolerate people who fail to wake up early to come and shout at me, for their own fault,” said Mzamo.

A cacophony of voices filled the taxi because we had waited for a taxi for almost half an hour and we still had another 30-minute trip to Ballito ahead. There was a risk we would all be late for work.

When the conductor returns with a pocket fill of 50c coins and the petrol tank is full, the journey continues and the gossiping begins.

Some are complaining about their bosses or boyfriends and discuss other personal issues with their friends.

The problems start again when we reach the Ballito taxi rank, outside the Sangweni Tourism Centre. The driver and conductor inform us that they are going back to Etete. Instead of taking us to our destination at the Ballito Boulevard we are to be parceled off to another driver, who already has 13 passengers packed inside his 15-seater. We are six. The math just doesn’t add up.

“We not getting into this taxi, sorry we can’t,” Londiwe said adamantly.

The conductor tried to persuade us to get in but we all stage a protest. The passengers who are sitting in the taxi that we are refusing to get into, are extremely irritated.

“We Bhuti, we are late, we need to get to work as soon as possible, let’s go. And where are you going to fit all these people? There is no space,” shouts one of the guys.

Our conductor managed to pay for our new ride without us noticing and he slipped back into our taxi, and off it went.

We do not have a choice now, we must get into this taxi and some will have to stand.

“This is madness, I paid full price and ended up standing. This is not cool at all,” said a very angry Sindi.

As we reach the stop street, just before Caltex garage on Ballito Drive, a few of the women asked to jump off.

The driver started to complain, “I can’t stop in this place, I will get a fine and it is dangerous.”

“We Mfana (meaning boy) the taxi stop is very far and I am late, I need to get to work quickly,” said one of the elderly ladies.

The driver had little choice because everyone was putting pressure on him to stop. As he stopped other drivers going past shake their heads, fists and a stream of swear words float over the taxi’s blaring music – they are mad at him for stopping in the wrong place.

I jumped off at the taxi stop at the Caltex garage, next to the North Coast Courier office and sigh.

It’s just another manic Monday.

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