PSV ETIQUETTE

They are called PUBLIC SERVICE VEHICLES because they are to be used by the
public. I always get amazed by passengers who would like to use the PSVs as if
they are in their living rooms at home. Coincidentally that morning Maina and
King'ang'i mentioned it.

A man sits with his legs wide open and expects you to sit next to him on the
tiny space he happens to leave funny thing is they make no effort to try adjust
their sitting position. Its not that the leg space is not roomy but this guy
wants to think he is on his armchair. You sit next to him since you have no
choice and hope for the best. Well, shock on you as the conductor approaches he
starts the nudging game. Woe unto you if he is huge and is sitting on his
wallet. You will be nudged without any apologies until he retrieves his wallet
pays the fare then nudges again until the wallet is back in the pocket. The
next challenge comes when this person wants to alight and insists on passing
while you are seated you make any attempts to squirm and all manner of unprintable
words are thrown your way.

Then comes the woman who thinks she has just reached her bedroom. She throws
herself on the seat next to you and proceeds to sleep. She rests her head on
your shoulder and while at it drools all over your nice shirt or blouse. You are
in for some fun if she is a sleep talker though.

The other group of passengers is the one who either tightly shuts the window as
if fresh air would cause death. This one will fight anybody who attempts to have
the window open to allow for circulation of air. Then there is the one who
insists on having the window wide open while the car is doing 80 km/h. Excuse me!
All that air is not oxygen. If you want to feel the air in your hair why dont
you get yourself a convertible?

This will be a long journey if you happen to get all these characters rolled up
into one. Pole sana.

YOU ARE ALSO TO BLAME

Its official corruption is a culture in Kenya this is according to research findings done by TI (Transparency International). It got me thinking a lot. First thing to cross my mind was to question really? How authenticate can this findings be? I mean how did they get their population and stuff like that? Yeah I know very typical of me I mean politicians question that day in day out (story for another day).

All the same, the sane me won the tag of war and I realized how true this research actually is. How many times did you get someone to do you a favor or even to perform his/her duty at a fee (could be monetary or not)?  How many of you have offered that three-year-old daughter/son/niece/nephew a sweet on condition that they bring you the remote control? I mean it is their responsibility to obey their parents or an older person isn’t it? That’s a bribe right there. You do it without batting an eyelid. Congratulations you have just initiated another person to the corruption culture.

Its going to be a long bumpy ride for the new KACC boss because the sooner he realizes the war on corruption is beyond the law and systems in place the earlier he will start addressing the issue. Corruption is in our living rooms, our homes, our neighborhood and the society at large. It’s not just in the police force, the government institutions and parastatals it’s also in the NGOs and the private institutions. It is part and parcel of us. It’s a culture that needs to be discarded just like the FGM and wife inheritance culture. It should be shunned.

Corruption therefore to be eliminated requires massive campaigns just like the aforementioned cultures for it to be discarded. The public needs to be educated and sensitized about it because for some it is a norm they can’t tell good from bad its all the same. For KACC this is a route I may suggest you follow rather than ambushing people who I can say are unlucky because their 40 days ran out. There are so many corrupt individuals on the loose. My word of advice KACC, it’s a two-way thing so you better also get hold of the briber and the bribee because it takes two to tango. On that note where are those matatu drivers and conductors?