Not the Chatterbox

All we had to do was wait and the driver was right outside in no time. With all three of us in the backseat, it seemed like a reasonable deal for a luxury ride. It was my first time haling a ride from an app. And if I remember correctly, the driver seemed chill with the songs he had playing. But lowkey, this ride-hailing wasn't going to be my thing.

When you put two and two together and see that ride-hailing to every destination would land your monthly income at the hospital, you quickly realize that those danfo buses were not so bad after all. You just sweat a little more during rush hours. But this time, I couldn't gamble with the rollercoaster of traveling in Lagos when I had an interview at 8 AM.

Here's how it is in Lagos for some people. They sometimes have to leave home at 4 AM only to be 15 mins late for work starting at 8 AM. Although this mostly happens to people that commute between ends of the mainland and island, it just speaks of how it can be boarding public transport and dealing with traffic jams.

To avoid delays with boarding one vehicle after another, I just had to hail a ride at 6 AM. InDrive seemed to have the cheapest rates with good ratings, so that was my choice. My ride went just as expected. Smooth, fast, and I got to my destination at 6:58 AM. Best of all, the driver didn't say a word to me and minded his business driving, other than responding to my contemplation to return home to drop the extra tie I unintendedly carried along.

Returning was different. I took yet another one returning home, but the driver this time had quite the personality. The moment I sat down, he began engaging me in a conversation. That was fine with me, as I am pretty much okay with simple interactions. But if I had known, I'd have just sat at the back instead.

At some point, he said, "I only picked up this ride for that fare because I saw that you were going to right where I live." In my mind, I was like, "That one doesn't concern me at all. Not at all, sir." But knowing that I'd pay the exact fare regardless, I didn't even mind him. What mostly concerned me was the conference call I had with him and my mother.

Just a regular conversation between my mom and me, talking about our day—what concerned this driver exactly? I had no idea. But he kept making comments like he was part of the call. Soon she asked, "Who's with you in the car?" Because his own was too much. At that point, I knew that it was my that caused it. I shouldn't have even entertained any form of communication in the beginning.

And when the call was over, I couldn't even figure out how I got to know about his family, kids, church, and investment strategies. When he began to tell me, "I just put $200 and I get $2 in the morning and $2 in the evening," I knew what he was trying to do. He said he just wanted to help a brother, and that's why he was sharing with me. Me that I had sense, I asked him quickly, "So what do you get when you refer people?" Of course he was looking for referrals, but I was not looking for another way to lose my money again.

Oh, did I mention that his church member resides in the same compound as me? When he told me that, I was almost regretting that I let him drop me right at where I live. I had just moved there and wasn't looking for unwanted company. People can be funny, so better to be safe than sorry. But I shook it off and said, "At least he doesn't know my apartment number."

The ride was alright, but I have learned that I'd just rather sit in the back next time and never indulge in any form of communication. Just be looking at the road and your speedometer, sir.