Race to a Standstill

There are many reasons one might encounter traffic jams in Nigeria. I’ve experienced the following on my limited travels through the country: flooding, armed robbers, check points, burning fuel tanker, bus crash. I became accustomed to these “hold ups,” but always assumed that there would be a catalyst to traffic. I was wrong.

On the road from Ibadan to Lagos cars and trucks came to a complete stop. I looked ahead to try to see what had happened ahead. Impatient motorists crossed to the other side and drove towards the jam’s epicenter where oncoming traffic normally would be. Two lanes became four (this is a normal response to traffic in Nigeria).

Young men were around directing traffic and helping cars, vans, buses and trucks, trying to improve the hold up. The jam was bad. What could it be? We inched forward. Others tried to squeeze forward. Four lanes became eight.

In the race to get ahead, buses got suck in muddy potholes. Vehicles continued to crisscross over the median. I wondered what they were doing once they reached the issue ahead.

I started to see things moving ahead. But there was no accident, no robbers, no fire - just the proverbial smoke. What had happened?

The Answer: Impatience. Traffic had slowed as it had neared the city. Trying to get ahead, drivers had reacted. Two lanes had turned to 4, turned to 6, turned to 8 until northbound faced vehicles faced southbound traffic and no one could move. It took over 45 minutes to untangle the mess while approaching vehicles complicated matters. I shrugged my shoulders and laughed - T.I.A. (This is Africa).