When I Travel in Nigerian Commercial Buses

(By Nkechi Bianze) – Whenever I'm in Nigeria and I'm traveling a long distance on public transport, one of my ultimate priorities is MY COMFORT. I sometimes go as far as paying for two seats, one for myself and the other seat for MY HANDBAG.

I once paid for THREE seats on "God is Good motors", traveling from Benin to Lagos. One seat for me, one for my box and the other for my handbag.

I was traveling one day from Asaba to Abuja, I paid for two seats. I had a small box (handbag size) and my handbag. I kept my small box and handbag on one, and sat on the other. Then less than 30minutes into the journey, this woman with three children, all over the age of three, asked me if I could carry my box and handbag so that one of her children would seat there, because they wanted to sleep through the journey.

She had bought two seats, she carried one of the younger children, while the eldest carried the other.

I couldn't process her request. Besides the tone that showed some entitlement; I payed for an extra seat to enable me hold my iPad comfortably and watch my movie through the journey, and you want me to give up a seat I paid for just so your child can sleep?

Since she knew her children were going to sleep, why didn't she make arrangements for them?

Why do some Nigerians have children with the hope that everyone will have to inconvenience themselves for their children?

The ONLY reason I don't have a child yet is because I want to be financially strong enough to give my children the type of life I want for them. You can't have dozens of children, and expect others to inconvenience themselves for you and your children.

This entitlement mentality stinks to high heavens.

Back to this woman with three children. She asked me if I had children of my own? She asked what I would do if I were in her shoes. I told her that I would buy seats for all my children, so we can all seat comfortably and sleep as much as we want. But what I wouldn't do is get into the car with the hope of inconveniencing another person for the lengthy period of the long journey.

Some Nigerian parents go into buses with three children, buy just one seat, and expect other passengers to inconvenience themselves for their children.

If a nursing parent decides to travel with three children, the law of common sense states that you should make arrangements for seats for those three children.

I can have sex today... or in a couple of days time (my ovulation period) and get pregnant. But I'm not doing that because I'm not ready. Don't have sex and put the burden of your sexcapades on me.

I read a post this morning and felt disgusted. A woman traveling with three children bought a seat in a commercial bus. She asked a woman, then a man, and they both refused to help her hold one. I do NOT blame them, I wouldn't hold your child for you for that length of time.

One of her children who was sick then threw up on the lady.

Then the writer went ahead to blame the woman for refusing to hold one of the children for the mother. And for complaining so much about the vomit. He conveniently forgot that the man also refused.

Why? You think she doesn't have the right to complain?
Why do Nigerians feel so entitled?

This whole stinking entitlement mentality that if you are with children, the whole world has to standstill for you is nauseating.

If you are too poor to pay for three bus seats for three children, then you are probably too poor to have three children.

Some Nigerians will have children, they expect their mothers or mothers in law to be the children's nanny, they expect their siblings to help pay the children's school fees, they expect passengers in a bus to inconvenience themselves to help hold their children, and if their children throw up on you, they expect you not to complain. Apparently, they expect the whole world to stand at attention for their children.

If I have a child today, my child would be a Canadian citizen. The government would take partial responsibility. The primary and secondary education are settled. Worse case scenario, the child would be eligible for student loan for university education. BUT, I still do not have one because I want better.

But somewhere in Nigeria, a country with zero social security, someone with N50k salary married to a man with N100k salary is getting ready to have unprotected sex and get pregnant for their 4th child.

Stop inconveniencing others with your poverty and wrong decisions to have children that you can't take care of.

No one owes it to you to help you look after your children. Your children are YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, that's the reason you should have only the number you can take care of. Anyone who helps, is just doing you a favour. You are not entitled to it! No one owes you shit!

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