10 Different Kinds of People You Will Meet at the BRT Station in Lagos
If you have been using BRT back to back in Lagos, I am sure you can relate to this piece. In case you haven’t experienced using a BRT in Lagos, you can also read on to learn more about it.
The Bus Rapid Transit system, commonly known as BRT, is one of the transport services operating in Lagos state. BRT vehicles are usually buses of different sizes, and they are used by many Lagosians daily because they are believed to be faster than other road transport services. The BRT is regulated by LAMATA and operated by different transport services, one of them is Primero.
Now, let’s identify the different categories of people you will come across whenever you want to use the BRT service in Lagos. Hopefully, you might fall under one of these categories.
Different Kinds of People You Will Meet at the BRT Station in Lagos
1. The fighters
These people are always ready to start chaos; all they need is a little nudge, and they explode. Although most times, it is not a physical fight, just a random exchange of insults and threats with their offenders. Anything can trigger the conflict, from delays by the BRT driver to bringing the bus on time to people trying to overtake them in the queue. In some cases, they will be wrong but will never accept that.
2. The Peacemakers
The Peacemakers are those who are always there to separate issues caused by the Fighters. They always beg for calmness to be restored and are familiar with phrases like, “do you people want us to sleep here?” “it is okay, you are all right,” and “please do not damage the bus.” According to a recent study (by me obviously…lol), 90% of the Peacemakers work on the Island. Therefore, they believe they can transfer the calmness and civility they learn from Islanders to Mainlanders. Hence the need to constantly encourage peace.
3. The Coconut-headed passengers
I had to use the term ‘coconut-headed’ to describe them because they are just stubborn without any reason. For instance, they know the driver only stops at designated bus stops but would insist the driver stop at their desired bus stops. I mean, how stubborn can these people be?
Signs like “no dumping of waste in the Bus” is pasted for them to see, but they would still litter the bus with nylon of biscuits, sweets, plastic bottles, and whatever item they have on them. Another thing about the Coconut-headed passengers is that they believe they know more than the BRT officials.
4. The Shunters
This set of people deserves to be left behind at the Bus Park, but interestingly, they consistently prove to be the smartest and enter the bus before everyone else. They don’t care how long the queue is or how long people have been standing in the line; all they do is hide in a corner and wait for the bus to arrive. Once they spot the bus, they appear from nowhere and sneak into it. Their actions usually trigger the Fighters, who find it unacceptable to be cheated (I mean, the Fighters does have a point) and start to exchange words with them.
5. The Beggars
This set of people is hilarious. I always admire their determination. Their daily routine is to wake up, dress well, come to the BRT stand holding their Cowrywise Cards, and start looking for who to fund the card for them. They always have touchy stories to share like, “I forgot my wallet, need to get to work, and I don’t have anything on me,” “I got robbed this morning,” “my wife just gave birth,” “I am going for an interview, and I need help with my transport fare,” etc. There are so many excuses they give for begging. Interestingly, they often see people to help them, yet they will resume the following day using another approach.
6. The GPS Trackers
Oh, these people always make passengers believe that the BRT driver is a learner and cannot compete with them in driving. They will be the ones to announce the location and even include the time the bus is expected to get to the destination. If the driver decides to take a shortcut, they’d be the first to question the driver on why he did that. If the bus makes any unpleasant sound, they quickly detect the problem. I often wonder why they can’t apply to work for the BRT since they know it all.
7. The Lucky Passengers
Yep, I used the word “Luck” because this is just what defines this set of people. They do not have to go through most of the struggles other passengers face. They do not queue or, in some cases, pay to use the BRT. People who fall under this category include; pregnant women, nursing mothers, school children, people with special needs, and the aged. Under the BRT policy, Pregnant women, nursing mothers, the aged, and people with special needs are not required to join the queue, but they pay to use the service. While secondary and primary school children are offered free transportation.
8. The Premium Members
This set of BRT users act like they are taking a flight. They believe the BRT is one of the best things that has happened to Lagosians and are ready to tell you the history of the BRT (I got some information concerning this piece from them. So you see, they are truly the premium members of the BRT). They do not allow others to get cheated easily as they help coordinate and even assist passengers who need help accessing the service.
The Premium members are mostly older adults or young people who have consistently used the transport service. They are dedicated users of the transport service, and if BRT can drop them off at their doorstep, they would appreciate that.
9. The First timers
One reason I don’t mock this set of users is because I have been in their shoes before, so I can totally relate to their dilemma. The First timers are those using the BRT for the first time. They are often confused about everything, and you can identify them by the random questions they ask. Random questions asked by first-timers include; “where can I fund my card?” “where is this BRT going to?” “Where is this Bus going to stop?” “Can two of us use the same card?” etc. So the next time you see a First timer at the BRT stand, be nice to them.
10. The normal people
These people are those who encourage others to use the BRT. They do not fight or struggle over who will get on the bus. They are always well-dressed and speak politely to people. Once inside the bus, they’d put on their earpiece/headset/airpods to avoid unnecessary conversations. They are also like Peacemakers but don’t talk when not spoken to.
Endnotes
If you are a consistent user of BRT, you will relate with most of the people included in this list. Sometimes, the BRT experience can be entertaining; other times, it can be stressful. So as a BRT user, which of these categories do you fall under?
Thank you for reading; I hope you found this piece interesting. Don’t forget to share and comment below.
You can also catch up with me on;
Twitter: @BoluAdeniji
LinkedIn: @Esther(Bolu)Adeniji
Email: @estheradeniji974@gmail.com
