Introducing: My Lagos Uber Stories.
Featuring a conversation starter that works like magic…
As a tech bro, you’d often find me in an Uber. It is not pride; it’s about making life bearable for myself. Especially in this Lagos, where anything can decide to punish you — be it traffic, the scorching sun, the ever-present police, or even the notorious landlords. A little AC and extra space for your comfort aren’t too much to use. You agree with me now, yeah? So spend your money; you work too hard to make it.
During most of these rides, I have been fortunate with drivers who engage in conversations while driving. If I were to mention a percentage of successful exchanges, I’d say 90%. These guys do not just talk away, they also listen to you, and that’s what proper communication is all about. I thought you should know that talking is their second fun thing besides driving you to your destination. And Nigerians generally love to tell their stories. You’re in for a treat if you know how to start them.
All you need is a conversation starter. So, let me share my conversation starter with you–a tried-and-tested starter that works every time. I have used this format for bike guys, keke riders, and ride-hailing guys (I use only Uber and Bolt, so I have no time to download a new app). As soon as you’re in your choice seat, say: “Omo, this country sef”, or enter the ride, exhale loudly and mutter: “Nawa for this our country”, and then wait. If they don’t respond, greet them and ask how their day is going. It doesn’t have to be a sincere gesture because na you dey find gist. You must act interested and say, “Oh wow, that’s crazy”. After that, you can ask them any questions about them.
Some stories are too good to the extent that you don’t want it to end, and some go too deep that you’ll almost want to pay these guys double. But then a wise man once said, “Your story is touching, but I can’t touch my savings”. And not to sound like I didn’t care, I don’t have enough to spare most of the time. In Lagos, you mostly don’t have any savings. It is a hand-to-mouth situation because of everyday taxes.
I was bored, so I documented the stories these wonderful people shared. Another thing to note is only some of these stories were shared in Uber. Some happened inside Keke, while others were shared by egbon adugbo and their cronies after asking for something to see front.
At this point, I’d like to give out a disclaimer that this series is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents in this book are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or events is coincidental.
I don’t have a plan on how I can share these stories, so I guess we will figure that out together. Let me know if the first series can go out by clapping and commenting. Also, if you enjoy the stories, please share them with your friends and follow me on my Medium page.
Are you ready for the first drop?
May I ask a special favour from you? If you enjoyed reading this, please clap 50 times, highlight any interesting part, comment, add it to your reading list, and share it with your network. Thank you for your continued support.
