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Carolyn Cooper | Mi never born inna car

Published:Sunday | January 19, 2020 | 12:59 AM

CHAKA-CHAKA SPELLING

Pon January 5, Gleaner publish mi column, ‘No Surrender To Lawless Taxi Drivers!’ Mi did tink seh a ongle di out a order taxi driver dem wuda beks wid mi. Mi sure seh all a di nice an deestant taxi driver dem wuda gree wid mi. Dem no want get bad name. An as fi di rest a wi, weh a fi a fight up wid di unruly taxi driver dem! Mi swear blind seh everybody wuda difen mi.

Nutten no go so! Coretta Burgess she post fi her argument pon Gleaner website. First, she write back weh mi did write: “Four passengers should not allow themselves to be squashed in the back of a car that’s designed for three. Passengers should not travel in the trunk of a taxi, jeopardising their lives.”

Hear weh Ms Burgess seh to dat: “You have a choice between being late for work and losing di likkle wuk or being that 4th passenger which would you choose? You live in a rural district 6 miles from the town center and at 9:25pm the last last robot taxi says he can squeeze you in the trunk. Do you accept the offer thankfully, walk and reach home midnight braving gunmen, or sleep in the bus stop and skull work tomorrow? People like this article writer drives her own car and have a different reality from the majority of Jamaicans”.

WI HA FI STAND UP FI PRINCIPLE

Yes, mi drive mi owna car. An fi mi ‘reality’ now a nuh di same like fi plenty Jamaican. But mi never born inna car. A nuff bus an taxi mi tek from mi a pikni. An all now mi tek bus an taxi sometime fi see wa a gwaan. So a no chroo mi a drive car mek mi a seh wi a fi stand up fi principle. Nutten nah go change if wi no change it.

An mi do understand emergency. But certain taxi always have passenger inna di trunk. A nuh nuh emergency. Dat a pon purpose! One morning, mi tek faas aks one driver if di passenger dem inna di trunk pay less dan dem inna di car. Im never even shame fi tell mi, “No”. Seet deh! Yu a pay fi risk yu life. Sometime di trunk all open. Suppose di taxi a fi stop sudden! An yu roll out.

Den Ms Burgess lef off part a weh mi did seh, “Passengers also have an important role to play in curbing the lawlessness of taxi drivers. They should not jump in and out of taxis anywhere they feel like. They should use designated taxi stops”. It look like seh she gree wid dat. Wa mek?

If di passenger dem can squeeze up inna di back a di car an inna di trunk, weh fi stop dem from stop taxi anywhere it suit dem? A di said same indiscipline! An govament suppose fi do plenty more fi control di taxi driver dem. All a wi a fi stand up gainst di slackness. It no matter if wi a walk foot or wi a drive car. Di whole a wi a smaddy. An wi life have value.

PRAPA-PRAPA SPELIN

Pan Janieri 5, Gleaner poblish mi kalam, “No Surrender To Lawless Taxi Drivers!” Mi did tingk se a ongl di out a aada taksi jraiva dem wuda beks wid mi. Mi shuor se aal a di nais an diistant taksi jraiva dem wuda grii wid mi. Dem no waahn get bad niem. An az fi di res a wi, we a fi a fait op wid di anruuli taksi jraiva dem! Mi swier blain se evribadi wuda difen mi.

Notn no go so! Coretta Burgess shi puos fi ar aagyument pan Gleaner websait. Fos, shi rait bak we mi did rait: “Four passengers should not allow themselves to be squashed in the back of a car that’s designed for three. Passengers should not travel in the trunk of a taxi, jeopardising their lives.”

Ier we Ms Burgess se tu dat: “You have a choice between being late for work and losing di likkle wuk or being that 4th passenger which would you choose? You live in a rural district 6 miles from the town center and at 9:25pm the last last robot taxi says he can squeeze you in the trunk. Do you accept the offer thankfully, walk and reach home midnight braving gunmen, or sleep in the bus stop and skull work tomorrow? People like this article writer drives her own car and have a different reality from the majority of Jamaicans”.

WI A FI STAN OP FI PRINSIPL

Yes, mi jraiv mi uona kyaar. An fi mi ‘reality’ nou a no di siem laik fi plenti Jamiekan. Bot mi neva baan ina kyaar. A nof bos an taksi mi tek fram mi a pikni. An aal nou mi tek bos an taksi somtaim fi si wa a gwaan. So a no chruu mi a jraiv kyaar mek mi a se wi a fi stan op fi prinsipl. Notn naa go chienj if wi no chienj it.

An mi du andastan imorjensi. Bot sortn taksi aalwiez av pasinja ina di chronk. A no no imorjensi. Dat a pan porpos! Wan maanin, mi tek faas aks wan jraiva if di pasinja dem ina di chronk pie les dan dem ina di kyar. Im neva iivn shiem fi tel mi, “Nuo”. Siit de! Yu a pie fi risk yu laif. Somtaim di chronk aal opn. Sopuoz di taksi a fi stap sodn! An yu ruol out.

Den Ms Burgess lef aaf paat a we mi did se, “Passengers also have an important role to play in curbing the lawlessness of taxi drivers. They should not jump in and out of taxis anywhere they feel like. They should use designated taxi stops”. It luk laik se shi grii wid dat. Wa mek?

If di pasinja dem kyan skwiiz op ina di bak a di kyaar an ina di chronk, we fi stap dem fram stap taksi eniwe it suut dem? A di sed siem indisiplin! An govament sopuoz fi du plenti muor fi kanchruol di taksi jraiva dem. Aal a wi a fi stan op gens di slaknis. It no mata if wi a waak fut ar wi a jraiv kyaar. Di uol a wi a smadi. An wi laif av valyu.

- Carolyn Cooper, PhD, is a specialist on culture and development. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and karokupa@gmail.com