THE DIGNITY OF BEING A TROTRO MATE
Different people from different backgrounds and experiences have different characteristics that partly define their personality. One of such defining characteristics is temperament or anger. Some people flare up at the slightest provocation. Anger is a dangerous thing if not controlled well.
Now, over my almost two-year stay in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana, I have observed a growing tension between bus conductors (mates) of trotro vehicles and passengers. The underlying cause of this growing anger as I have observed is contempt. Both parties have a fair amount of contempt for one another. This contempt is gradually brewing undying anger between the two parties that may one day escalate to an unquenchable level.
Admittedly, being a mate is not the most glamorous job one would want to show off with. Passengers knowing the nature of this job often want to exhibit their disgust for mates. And the mates also knowing this always want to stand their ground in an attempt to step up to passengers. Now, anger is nothing more than an outward expression of fear, hurt and frustration to face the causative organism. This means that either party could be responding to the others’ provocation.
I don’t know who started this unfortunate situation but my observation tells me that mates are almost always at the receiving end vis a vis the victims. I have sat in a vehicle where a passenger insulted the mate for close to an hour without the mate uttering a word in response. The mate’s only mistake was asking the passenger to pay his fare in full instead of making excuses of not having enough money. And it is worth noting that the mate said this in a very polite tone. I have witnessed several of such or even similar situations in trotro vehicles.
Just yesterday, some two slay queens descended on the mate of a trotro vehicle I boarded from Circle to Darkuman. In fact, they insulted the mate to a point where some elders had to join in to save the mate from the loud-mouthed slay queens. Again, the mate’s only mistake was asking them to pay their fare in full.
Sometimes too, some of the mates are too disrespectful in their utterances. This sometimes forces passengers to vent their spleen on these mates.
There is an Akan proverb that says no one uses their left finger to point to their hometown. This proverb goes to suggest that no matter how the job of a mate is not regarded by others; the mates would not yield to any form of contempt treatment.
Some passengers have such contempt for mates because of how the job has been branded and how the mates also behave sometimes. Provided mates don’t earn much money, the way some of them dress sometimes isn’t much to desire or even respect. Mates can maybe change the perception and disrespect of passengers towards them by at least upgrading their style of dressing.
Some drivers also frustrate their mates. This leads some mates to act anyhow towards passengers. Drivers should endeavour to treat their mates well if they desire much from them.
Station masters should step in to address the situation by putting in place mechanisms they see fit. But I think station masters can make some rules that will compel drivers to respect their mates and to treat them well. Also, mates should not be allowed to dress anyhow to work. If possible, there should be a uniform for mates according to the stations they work at.
The job of mates is an integral and very essential part of our everyday lives.
I believe every human being no matter their job descriptions should be accorded some level of dignity.
YUSSIF AHMED
ahmed.yussiph@gmail.com
Now, over my almost two-year stay in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana, I have observed a growing tension between bus conductors (mates) of trotro vehicles and passengers. The underlying cause of this growing anger as I have observed is contempt. Both parties have a fair amount of contempt for one another. This contempt is gradually brewing undying anger between the two parties that may one day escalate to an unquenchable level.
Admittedly, being a mate is not the most glamorous job one would want to show off with. Passengers knowing the nature of this job often want to exhibit their disgust for mates. And the mates also knowing this always want to stand their ground in an attempt to step up to passengers. Now, anger is nothing more than an outward expression of fear, hurt and frustration to face the causative organism. This means that either party could be responding to the others’ provocation.
I don’t know who started this unfortunate situation but my observation tells me that mates are almost always at the receiving end vis a vis the victims. I have sat in a vehicle where a passenger insulted the mate for close to an hour without the mate uttering a word in response. The mate’s only mistake was asking the passenger to pay his fare in full instead of making excuses of not having enough money. And it is worth noting that the mate said this in a very polite tone. I have witnessed several of such or even similar situations in trotro vehicles.
Just yesterday, some two slay queens descended on the mate of a trotro vehicle I boarded from Circle to Darkuman. In fact, they insulted the mate to a point where some elders had to join in to save the mate from the loud-mouthed slay queens. Again, the mate’s only mistake was asking them to pay their fare in full.
Sometimes too, some of the mates are too disrespectful in their utterances. This sometimes forces passengers to vent their spleen on these mates.
There is an Akan proverb that says no one uses their left finger to point to their hometown. This proverb goes to suggest that no matter how the job of a mate is not regarded by others; the mates would not yield to any form of contempt treatment.
Some passengers have such contempt for mates because of how the job has been branded and how the mates also behave sometimes. Provided mates don’t earn much money, the way some of them dress sometimes isn’t much to desire or even respect. Mates can maybe change the perception and disrespect of passengers towards them by at least upgrading their style of dressing.
Some drivers also frustrate their mates. This leads some mates to act anyhow towards passengers. Drivers should endeavour to treat their mates well if they desire much from them.
Station masters should step in to address the situation by putting in place mechanisms they see fit. But I think station masters can make some rules that will compel drivers to respect their mates and to treat them well. Also, mates should not be allowed to dress anyhow to work. If possible, there should be a uniform for mates according to the stations they work at.
The job of mates is an integral and very essential part of our everyday lives.
I believe every human being no matter their job descriptions should be accorded some level of dignity.
YUSSIF AHMED
ahmed.yussiph@gmail.com
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