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This story highlights how crazy a driver can get, and they are always mad. What is constant across all drivers is that they don’t learn, t
Every week on Miles and Moments, we share traveler stories to understand how far people have journeyed and the culture shocks they’ve experienced along the way. There’s always something to learn from each story.
Written as told
I was looking to speak with people about how traveling has led to frustration for
Traveling in Nigeria can be an adventure all on its own—not because of the destinations, but because of the journeys that get you there. One experience that still lingers in my mind happened during a trip to Ogun State, starting at the ever-busy Oshodi terminal in Lagos. It wasn’t just the destination that made the journey memorable; it was the chaos and drama that unfolded along the way.
It all began with a nationwide fuel scarcity, a familiar scenario that turns even the simplest errands into logistical nightmares. After waiting nearly 45 minutes for the driver to fill up the Sienna bus with passengers, we finally hit the road—or so we thought. Barely a few minutes into the journey, the driver pulled up behind a queue of vehicles stretching endlessly ahead. He hadn’t filled his tank before we left the park. The frustration in the bus was crazy and passengers started to yell, curse, and shake their heads in disbelief.
Surprisingly, the driver didn’t seem to care—until a lady sitting beside him spoke up. She was really upset and started calling him out for his bad behavior. Earlier, they had already argued about a parcel placed beside her in the front seat, which made her uncomfortable. The fuel issue only made things worse, and soon, their argument turned into a shouting match.
Things got really serious when the driver threatened to slap her, and she told him to go ahead and try. At that moment, he took one hand off the steering wheel to demonstrate how he would slap her, and the bus swerved off the road. Everyone panicked and begged them to stop fighting.
After a while, things calmed down a bit, and we continued the journey in silence. We were all just hoping the fuel would last till our destination. I finally got off safely at my stop, but I couldn’t stop thinking—why don’t drivers prepare for their trips properly? Filling up their tanks and checking their vehicles before leaving would save everyone a lot of stress.
That trip taught me that in Nigeria, the journey is often just as unpredictable and colorful as the destination. Whether it’s a fuel queue or an argument over a misplaced parcel, every trip has its story.