Why having a big body shouldn’t be an issue in matatu
WANJALA .B. DANSON
Size in a matatu is a problem to passengers and the government should regulate the people should sit among seats. This problem is obviously affecting fat and slender passengers who find themselves in awkward situations in matatu. In this regard, the German hosteller who served customers according to their body size may be reasonable to some extents when logic is applied.
It is moral aspect each person to respect the other while using public service without discriminating each other based on whatever factors which may cause violence to penetrate them. Public service vehicles are one area which is discriminating, judging people according to their body sizes and the manner in which the sit in a matatu.
This behavior is common mostly in low and middle classes who usually use matatu daily. You will find it not a surprise when the conductor of a matatu ‘arranging’ rather packing passengers according to how big they may appear. On the back seat, there are usually thin, to use a seat made for three people, five of them. Some may complain about rights abused but are shut down by the loud mouthed passengers who betray other by accepting to be packed without caring whether they reaching their destination.
A conductor uses absurd words on slender skinny passengers who are not willing to squeeze together like potato in bags. Using phrases like “go and buy your own car if you are selfish to share space with your counterparts”.
The worse is when a smaller skinny person find themselves in between two big ones who occasionally, look down upon the small body. You are likely to notice the head but the rest of the body has disappeared between the massive bounding him. This appears crazy but it’s the real situation happening on the ground. The thin also find it hardest when there isn’t the ‘sambaza’ thing in a matatu. The passengers are told to sit in between the seats, space to be used as a passage to rear seats. Passenger’s body may be too small to fit in these spaces between the seats.
There are some passengers who give the conductors headache. There is space for someone to sit seats but when shouted at to create space for other person, they only shake their body a little and settle without moving an inch. The conductor repeat the same statement but in vain , the same action is repeat, putting on a stone face which scare the conductor off but no he giving up on them.
Other guys who when boarding a matatu, the matatu caretaker point him to sit at a certain seat which the conductor by his common sense understand he can’t fit in it.. The guy remain hanging with all eyes on him so wondering why does not lose some fat.
Furthermore it become worsening when the conductor keep saying someone is alight the next bus stage but you end up standing for the rest of the journey. This risks being arrested and judge of breaking law.