Go Slow attack

Hi All,

Anyone familiar with the Lagos roads knows that the snail pace traffic popularly referred to in Nigeria as "go slow" is a part of every day life. In fact the only way to avoid it is to remain in your house. No matter which part of the megalopolis you live or work, you will encounter it on your way to or from work, party, church, hospital, wherever. It is an accepted part of life in Lagos. No one likes it, we just live with it given that we have no choice.

Coming from a background of twelve years as an Abuja resident it is particularly difficult for me to bear, but who has a choice? However, bad as the traffic situation is, it is made worse by the dangers that await in various forms; car breakdowns, empty fuel tanks and especially, robbery attacks! Yes, robbery attacks, daytime or night they rob you quietly or noisily and disappear into thin air! Sometimes they rob sveral vehicles in a row and everyone is helpless as there is no where to run. Everyone knows that they happen all the time, you just pray and hope to never fall a victim.

Well, last night I almost fell a victim! I have very poor night vision and generally try to avoid driving at night; but sometimes this is unavoidable. Last night I was on my way home from church. I had not attended weekly services for about three months because of the challenge with driving at night, but I was feeling the effects of missing fellowship so much that I had to take the risk this week. On tuesday, I asked a friend who was carless and going my way to drive me home. Yesterday there was no one to drive me home and I faced the road myself.

When I observed the traffic snarl a few metres from my church, I was at once grateful and upset. Grateful, because with a slow moving traffic it is easier for me to drive in the night; and upset because I was very hungry and wanted to get home quickly to my dinner. The traffic was really bad and we were barely moving, I had an irate customer calling me to demand for their Dubai visa which Ishould have emailed about three hours earlier. I reassured the lady that I would send the visa on getting home and tried to explain about the bad traffic situation. I succeeded in calming her down and dropped my phone beside me.
As usual there was no light as PHCN was on "duty" and I wondered idly when the electrical situation in our nation would be permanently rectified and we would have streetlights evrywhere.
The traffic was so bad that most people had their engines turned off, including yours truly, my windos were down for some air and my doors were unlocked. Suddenly a young man on a motorbike came out seemingly from no where and stopped by my window. "mama dem dey call you for back" meaning, "hey lady, there's someone looking for you at the back". "who be the person? I asked , "somebody", he insisted.

I kept on querying him and I refused to look back. When he saw that I could not be distracted he looked at me angrily and moved off towards the back of my car, it was then I looked back and saw that he had a partner who quickly jumped on the motorbike and they zoomed! It was then I realised that this must be how it happens, you are quietly dispossesed in the traffic and no one around is any wiser! That was when the shakes started for me.I called my hubby and narrated what had taken place, ( as if he could do anything about it) and then I started my car, wound up my windws, and locked the doors. Of course from then till I got home I was more attentive!

It is a nasty experience and even though nothing happened I still shudder to think what might have happened. The funny part of it all is that I had no money l on me. Not even five naira. I had dropped all my money in the offering in church. I have a blackberry phone which I hardly carry around; it was at home safely, the handset I had on me costs a mere 3000 naira (less than $20) brand new, a grateful customer had given it to me last year.
I had nothing of any value to a thief, but of great value to me. I had my wallet which is stuffed full with various cards. My visa credit card, two ATM cards ,and several identification cards including my national id card and my drivers' licence. Absolutely useless to a thief but almost irreplaceable to me. I thank the good Lord for His continued deliverance............

Shalom!