Taxi {Mis}Adventures

Once upon a time, I took a taxi with my friend Anna.

 

We told the driver we wanted to stop at such-and-such street for Anna to get off, and then I'd continue on to J&A's.  It would save us both a bit on the fare (than if we went separately), and besides, we could chat on the way.

 

Part way to her place, the engine apparently started getting overheated.  Wisps of steam appeared from under the hood.  The driver pulled over, popped the hood, and propped it open with a stick.  We're talking a skinny tree branch-type stick.  See below, where the arrow's pointing.

 

After maybe 10 or 15 minutes of pouring some coolant in and fiddling with various things, he closed the hood and got back in, mumbling an apology.

We replied with the typical, if not entirely sincere, response, "C'est pas grave, c'est pas grave."

The was a brief discussion (argument?) about price and route, and then he asked if we had the change.  We didn't have exact amount, so we gave him a 5000 CFA bill for him to find the change.  While he was driving, he honked at the taxi driver in the next lane.  He waved the 5000 CFA bill: "Change?"

"Yeah, here."

And the two taxi drivers leaned through their windows - both still driving - and exchanged bills.

We continued on.

A phone credit vendor standing by the side of the road caught our driver's attention.

"Hey, you there, can you put some credit on my phone?"

"Okay, give me your number," the vendor replied, leaning in the window and handing the driver his phone.  The driver - while still driving - punched in his number and handed the phone back to the vendor.  The vendor sent the credit.  The driver handed him the money.

We continued on.

It was starting to get dark and we were only a few blocks from Anna's when the steam swirled up again and began fogging up the windshield.  He wanted to keep going, but after several passers-by shouted and pointed at the hood, he gave in and pulled over.

By this time it was definitely dark.  Neither of us really wanted to try to get another taxi, so we waited.

A couple minutes later, we were on our way - again.  The steam started up - again.  Anna got off at her stop, and the driver pulled to the side about a block later.

I tried not to get fidgety as he fumbled around with the hood yet again.  Lord, pleasepleaseplease help us get there okay...

He poured more coolant in, shut the hood with rather more force than necessary, and got back in.

Thankfully, I did make it to J&A's safe, sound, and - after that - steamless.

And now I have yet another story for that book I'm going to write one day about public transport...