The Abominable 207 tro-tro

My friend from drew this. He visited Ghana last year. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6478121827_e1594ecbcc_z.jpg

“Overhead, Dimples, Abelenkpe, Dzorwulu junction … 37!” cried the driver's mate. With a worn look I signaled to the mate and hopped inside the tro-tro. I did this with a heavy heart. I despise tro-tros in general, but the dislike I have for “207” tro-tros is special. Given my economic circumstances, the other option – taxis – seem unreasonable to pursue. So I silently ride the “devil's contraption” – which I can afford – while I watch others ride the unaffordable angel's carriage.

The “207” is a special one. It is a Mercedes Benz van. Rumour has it that most of the ones imported here are the cargo box ones and not the mini-buses. However, when they are imported into the country, they are converted into passenger carriers. Windows are cut in the sides for ventilation and lighting and seats are constructed and fixed into the van. The back seats have a collapsible fourth seat to allow passengers to go in and out by the sides of the fixed three-seats (the collapsible seat is the fourth when you count from the driver's side of the vehicle). I think that is a brief description of my nightmare of a vehicle.

What is my problem with these tro-tros? Like many other tall people, I find the seating arrangement and design very thoughtless. Five rows of clumsy seats are forced into this vehicle so that there is virtually no room for the legs. The front seats are mostly tall-people-friendly. If you are tall and you miss the front seat, then you are in for a rough ride. You will have to 'fix' your legs into the marginal spaces between the seats. Once you sit, you try to maintain your initial posture no matter how uncomfortable. Yes, your legs will become numb and sore but it will be beneficial to endure that than the problems that will arise from a change in initial posture. You might have to sit in mid-air till you reach your destination if you lose your original posture that accommodated your height. To make matters worse, most of these vehicles are poorly maintained. Sometimes I enter these tro-tros to see the upholstery work falling apart as the owners work it without the slightest concern. When the supporting rods in the seats become weak, they lean back into the already limited legroom to aggravate your distress. There are times when I had to push against the seat in front of me with my hands to prevent further damage to my knees.

Oh that is not all! I have totally ignored those annoying big black speakers and spare tires that compete with the passengers for legroom. They always win! The rusty windows, doors and metal fittings in the tro-tros cannot be glossed over easily. My word! In many tro-tros, you can see the tarred road by looking down your seat. How? They are plagued with holes and rusty openings. If you do not tread cautiously in these tro-tros, you will get a nasty cut from a rusted piece of metal. I know, because I have a seen people bleed terribly by suffering cuts from the ill maintained window edges. I do not remember ever getting a cut. My clothes have not been that successful though. My pair of school shorts was converted into a wrapper skirt while alighting at a bus stop, thanks to a poorly constructed seat joint. My boxer shorts saved me from total ignominy. My ordeal is not a special case. I have seen it happen on countless occasions. The driver's mate will apologise and wish you all the best in your endeavours as they drive away, leaving you fuming. On any day, I will choose the torn apparel over a tetanus injection – which you will have to get if you get seriously cut by the rusty elements of the tro-tro.

Have you also noticed that “207” tro-tros are incredibly noisy? Once the vehicle is started, it is a noise fest; total chaos. Some very horrible sounds come from the bonnet. I sometimes wonder if it is the engine's way of registering its displeasure at the way it is used or maintained. When the driver accelerates, the noise escalates in perfect harmony. From beneath the vehicle, you will hear this irritating grinding noise, which can be likened to a mill at work. The poorly cut and fitted windows join the orchestra. The glasses hang loosely in there, making banging sounds at the least disturbance. The seats are not left out of this act. They squeak and creak as the vehicle wobbles down the road. Some passengers contribute their quota by engaging in noisy conversations, sometimes right across your face. Sometimes, not always though, you will have an infuriating passenger having a loud conversation on phone. The last straw that breaks the camel's back is a class act from the driver. Remember the huge speakers underneath the back seats? When these low sound - quality noise factories are turned on, the passengers are turned into acoustic waste dumps. Their cries to the driver to reduce the volume of the player usually fall on deaf ears, and rightly so. Who would not be deaf if he/she listens to a radio at such earsplitting volume levels for long periods of time?

So picture this. I am aboard a “207” tro-tro from Lapaz to the 37 station. I have managed to 'fix' myself into the middle seat. There is a spare tire under the seat in front of me and a huge speaker under mine. My legs are growing numb and I can only cringe in pain. The two passengers by my sides are asleep. The one on my left is leaning on me. The one on my right is sweating profusely and drooling as well. The speaker is blasting away to a hip hop song. We are stuck in traffic and the window on my row cannot be opened – the glass is stuck! The seat in front of me is leaning back and the passengers sitting in it can do nothing to help save my aching legs.

Am I being too harsh by calling that tro-tro abominable???

Kwame Anaa
Texas.