Reflection on using public transportation - Jessica Petrie

Today we experienced Cape Town public transportation for the first time. Our group was told to take the Wynburg bus to Station Road, so we set off to the downtown area where a herd of minibuses waits. The bus system is fascinating because passengers can be dropped off or picked up anywhere along the route. There was a lot of swerving and sudden stopping as the driver spotted new passengers along the side of the road. Aside from the occasional jolt of sudden braking, however, the trip was going well. What we did not realize though, was that there is a Station Road in every township and we had already passed the one we were supposed to get off at. Once we shared this revelation with the driver he spun the bus around and took us to our destination.
I was very surprised at just how helpful he was. We could tell he genuinely wanted to get us to our destination. After completing our
mission of finding the high school, we needed to find a mini bus going back to Cape Town. This was not at all difficult. Once we got to the highway, one driver, going the opposite direction, swung through several lanes to get to us. Another driver pulled up right behind him and jumped out of his van and blocked the door to the other van. We managed to get into the first van though and drove off. This driver was even more intense about finding new passengers. He created his own lane of traffic between the other lanes and slammed on his brakes faster than any driver I’ve ever seen. Lane lines, speed limits, and crosswalks seemed to be mere suggestions for him. There were five other people on the bus with us and when the driver asked one woman who she was going to vote for in the municipal election she replied that she would vote for the ANC because she was black and had to vote for the black party. The man behind her yelled that that was racist and no way to participate in a democracy. Sadly, the discussion changed to Xhosa so we couldn’t understand the rest. It was surprising to see that political discussions are not the taboo that they are in the US. People seem more willing to engage and debate with others about political issues. I think that this is a good sign for South Africa as it continues the journey to becoming a vibrant democracy.