The Joys of Public Transportation

Peace Corps volunteers are forbidden to drive while ‘on duty,’ so we take public transportation. In my village, there are two basic shops (fodder for another blog entry), so I must take a bus for an hour to Jwaneng if I want to find a supermarket. Yes, Jwaneng is where one of the major diamond mines is, but I haven’t yet figured out how to get a tour.

Anyway, on my original subject, public transportation in Botswana has some differences to that in the USA (fancy that). First, buses are about the same size as American buses. However, they have five seats across instead of four. The aisle is for sideways sidling only, and if you are carrying your groceries (a backpack stuffed and probably a tote bag in the other hand), you invariably thump people as you go by. But no one seems to take offense. Body contact is common and unremarkable on public transportation. You will share your narrow seat (think of airplanes as spacious) with people ‘of traditional build’ as they say. People will stand in the aisles, and to pass in the narrow space it takes, well, body contact. Full body contact, from shoulders to knees. Just part of the experience. If you have an aisle seat, it is not uncommon for someone with an ample posterior to have that posterior inches from your face, as they try to let someone past.

Buses are also a sales ground. At each major bus station, there are vendors selling cold water bottles, chips, food of various types, huge bags of oranges, and they will come onto the bus during the stop to sell their wares - yes, and go up and down the aisles as noted above.

On my trip to Maun for shadowing, we were on a bus when an older woman made her way to the front of the bus leaned down and said something to the driver. The driver slowed the bus, then turned onto the shoulder of the road. This is a highway where the common speed is 120 km per hour. The lady got off the bus, squatted down with her skirts modestly spread, and after a moment stood, rearranged her clothing, and then got back on the bus. About an hour later, another passenger came forward, and this time about 12 men got off, faced away from the bus, took their potty break, got back on, and off we went again. I had carefully rationed by water intake in preparation for this trip, but it seems others had not.

Another form of public transportation is the oft mentioned ‘combi’, a minibus used in the larger metro areas. For three pula, you can catch one on any number of routes and get about quite handily. Of course, body space is at a premium. I have ridden in them with a total of 14 people plus driver - two in the front with the driver (in the bucket seat), and four across in another three rows. Add in groceries, luggage, children, and body contact is again the order of the day. On a hot day, breathing is your task until you get to your destination. But everyone is cordial and cheerful, and will help you with packages, and pass your money to the driver and the change back. If space is really short, someone will take a child, not necessarily their own, onto their lap to make room.

Many people here use the public transport system. Cars and expensive, and most are owned by agencies or businesses. Getting a driver’s license, I am told, is a long process, so you meet just about everyone on the bus or the combi at some time or another.