Much ado about BRT (Part 1)

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I just returned to Lagos from Abuja to discover that the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system represented by those silly yellow lines I had been seeing on weekends was finally going to be implemented. Conceptually the BRT seems like a good idea. Huge buses rapidly convey most of the Lagos population from the Mainland to the Island using dedicated lanes. Stubborn people who refuse to take the bus can jostle for the remaining two or three lanes. I waited with baited breath to see how this wonderful idea would be implemented. As I waited, I pictured what was about to unfold. Big red buses would zoom down the BRT lanes while everyone else would stick to the other lanes and not even think about taking the BRT lane. Lagosians would obey the BRT rule religiously and never venture into the BRT lane. I imagined that there would be a force field of some sort to prevent this.

It only took the first couple of days to see that whoever thought of the BRT idea didn't take the lawlessness of Lagosians, the mad Lagos traffic capable to turning even the most timid gentleman into a savage and the inadequacy of enforcement. In practice the BRT has turned out to be a failure. I watch as hapless LASTMA officials try to convince Lagosians to stick to the non-BRT lanes. People just don't care and the truth is that there is no practical way of arresting thousands of motorists flouting the law.

One of the reasons people don't obey such laws is that they feel the system has cheated them. The mentality is "if I don't have water, light, water etc, why should I pay tax and obey traffic laws?", "things are so bad that my obeying will not make a difference?" and "what have I done that is as bad as stealing money like those crooks in Aso Rock?".

(to be continued)

Kshorty1

One month already

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Wow! I have been so busy with work, I haven't posted to my blog in over a month. I enjoy writing but I just never have enough time. Isn't that every one's excuse for not doing the things we love the most; go to Church, exercise, spend time with the children, have fun, travel e.t.c. We are always so busy with work that we don't spend enough time doing the things we really like. Some people are blessed in that their work is their hobby. Some smart financial planning guy said that work isn't what you do to make money. It's something you do because you enjoy it. I do enjoy my work but there are competing demands on my time and I really wish I could be diligent in all of them. I teach Sunday School and also recently became a House Fellowship leader so I have some spiritual responsibilities. But sometimes because no one is watching, I am not as diligent as I should be. On the other hand because my secular boss can write my performance evaluation and determine my future with the company (so we think, it's really God that determines your future) I don't let my work slip. So invariably, jobs get all the attention and everything else suffers because it seems there is no accountability.

Not spending time with the children doesn't seem harmful because they can't fire you. Not taking your wife out seems unimportant because she still cooks for you and does her wifely duties. We are nonchalant about serving God diligently because He doesn't instantly throw thunderbolts when we err. Yet these are just a few of the most important things we should pay attention to rather than work, work, work.

Your job can't give you the joy a giggling child can, nor the warmth and affection of a loving spouse, nor the abundant love and grace of God. If only...if only everyone would wake up and realise the most important things in life...

I promised I would start writing a book some years ago but I have never gotten round to it. Someday maybe, someday. Tonight when I get home, I'm going to give my wife a firm hug, kiss my two darling angels and attend my the men's vigil of my church. I'm also going to drop my laptop in one corner and not do any work this weekend. After all, my job has already eaten up five days out of the week. I'm not about to give up the other two!

Kshorty