This wild ride called "Lagos"

As weird as this sound, sitting in traffic in Lagos has become one of my favorite things to do now.

 

Sure, if I'm on my way to a meeting, and am already 2 hours late, it could be stressful; however, everyone knows how bad the traffic could be, and people are generally pretty understanding if you're late (especially if you're a foreigner).  In fact, I don't recall ever having a meeting on-time in Nigeria. Sure it's extremely inefficient to sit in traffic for 4-6 hours of your life on a daily basis, but that is life in this part of the world.   The system is so broken in Nigeria that one can't even decide where to start fixing it, Lagos city was not planned, and people just flood into the metropolis, how do you get the people out so you can begin to build all the infrastructure? and even if you finish building it, there will just be more people that comes in and what you have just built will not be sufficient any more!  So people don't bother with hoping the system will be better and just put matters in their own hands.  Most nicer buildings have their own generators and water system, each one is self-sustaining, whether the government is there or not!  and I thought the US government is messed up!

It's 32C, hot, hazy, and sticky outside, and I am sitting in the back seat inside this "safe haven" called my taxi, having one of the most surreal experience ever.  Looking out from the car, LIFE is happening, raw, and lots of it, right in front of my eyes.  Drama, including what I have thought would only happen in movies are literally flashing in front you.  It feels a bit like I'm in an amusement park ride with the theme of an urban version of lord of the flies or time traveling back a few hundred years.

Driving (well, parking rather since you move at 0.5 km/hour) on the dusty road bumper to bumper, the constant hooting begin to blend into the background, providing the perfect theme music for what's happening outside...just to give a flavor of the type of things I've seen sitting in the car:

• Car on fire on the side of the road with petroleum tankers not far away stuck in traffic, I couldn't wait to get as far away from the spot as quickly as possible, but there were plenty of Nigerians standing just 1 meter away just get on with their business as usual, completely oblivious to the fact that the car can explode at any time
• People of all ages walking or crossing the highway...to paint a picture of what this looks like, imagine one of those doomsday Hollywood action movies where all the cars are trying to evacuate out of the city, but end up stuck/parked on the bridge; then, fill 50% of the remaining space on this bridge with images of people, walking in a state of panic to get out...THAT, is the kind of density we're talking about here, except, no aliens are invading, and this is every day life in Lagos.  Kids and mothers carrying babies on their back are jumping over the concrete barrier/divider in the middle to cross, that's just how they go to school, or to the markets!  Some determination to survive and do better, eh?!  
• Vendors packed on the side of the street with stalls lit by bursting open fire fueled by kerosene, which can easily be tumbled over and explode
• People waving their hands, yelling over various car accidents...this happens often since no one follows traffic rules, the guy on the outside land can decide to make a right, while you go straight, then bam!  It's understandable that people don't follow rules because the very few who does probably will never get to where they need to be with everyone else passing. These kind of argument can last hours, cars will just be parked at where the accident happens, regardless if it's in the middle of a junction blocking traffic from all side or not...It's usually settled by cash on the spot (otherwise you'll never find the chap again), and bystanders will join the argument to support either parties, in hope to get a cut out of the settlement money. Sometimes police are nearby to mediate, but the winner is usually the one with a deeper pocket.  Nigerian arguments are especially interesting to watch, they're very animated, and there's usually a lot of yelling and moving around and pointing involved
• Street hawkers selling everything from shoe shelves to snacks to puppies...these "waka waka (walkers)" also walk the highways, and can easily be squeezed in between large trucks, very dangerous...when the cars move, they run with the car to finish the transaction...i think sometimes people could easily just take the product and drive away

In short, there is never a dull moment, and this is how people survive, literally, it feels to me that people are not "living", rather, they are "surviving" one day to the next, and it never cease to amaze me how tenacious people can be, and how good life has been to me.

One of the parking guys, was very funny and wanted to pose for my camera, very nice guy, but the minute I finished with the photo, he return to being a very tough/mean parking guy, I guess that's what it takes in Lagos