There was a time when Dr. Tim La Haye's book - Why you act the way you do - was the next best thing after toast bread. Well, I am having a re-think. I believe until he writes a rejoinder - Why Nigerians act the way they do - I will not be satisfied.


I was stuck in traffic for a really long time yesterday and I was very upset. For in my head, I kept asking myself all the productive things I would have been doing if I wasnt in the vehicle at that point in time. After three excruciating hours of snail speed, we eventually sailed through, only to meet another traffic 50 meters in front!


Every time I got to the hold up point however, I observed a similar causative factor responsible for the traffic - Trucks parking indecriminately on bridges.


I am not a structural engineer, so I stand to be corrected, but I believe most lagosians are in very grave danger by virtue of the conditions of our bridges. Why do trucks and tankers park on bridges, unchecked?! It simply doesnt make sense to me. Aside from the fact that they cause serious accidents, they also make it possible for thieves to attck innocent motorists and use the trucks as shields from anyone who wants to go after them.


Our bridges go for years without maintanance, drivers of broken down vehicles burn tryes on them all night to ward off blind motorists from certain death, we have turned the means of temporary transit to permanent bustops - as evident in Oshodi, Obalende, Apapa, Ijora - and it just makes my heart bleed.


:-(


If and when something happens, we just find a way round it, like ants marching in a straight line. When the national theater bridge collapsed, for example, we found a way round, by going through costain. Now, I have heard the third mainland brigde rumbles from time to time..... when it does decide to collapse, I can only hope it is the convoy carrying the present president and the minister of works and everybody that ought to answer to this crap, that is on the bridge at the time. I pray the innocent peopleinvolved can swim. The others can explain to their maker why they were lax in their responsibilities.


I am so sad, I dont even make sense to myself, so I'll stop writing .... for now, anyway.


/Nunu.