Mini-taxis in Cape Town are never full !

Mini-taxis are officially considered as part of the public transport system in Cape Town and surrounding area, but if something were to happen to you or anyone else while riding in one, it is hard to say if insurance would cover you. But boy did I love the rides for an entire 6months!!!

Ok, let me start by introducing to you a mini-taxi. It is far from a small taxi. I have trouble knowing why they are called 'mini' when it is generally a >=13 seater microbus (which are never full). So, I guess I just answered my own question, as micro and mini can mean the same thing. However, once you are calling something a taxi you think of the yellow cabs similar to the ones you see in movies on the streets of New York city. However, mini-taxis in Cape Town, at least the majority of them, come in white or dirty-white colours. Some, I must admit, come in a colours which makes me think of ice cream, but why not make life more colourful ! They come in varying colours and music. Oh, the music! I just about forgot to tell you about the music. Besides having people sit on you in places you never thought people can sit, there is this music that I, again swear by this, wakes you up in the mornings better than 4 cups of straight black coffee (drank simultaneously). People, I am not joking here. (So far, I have covered the seating, the music, the outter and inner set up of a mini-taxi)

These mini-taxis only cost you 5R -10R at most, which is about 0.5-1.5$ CAD but it sure provides you with a kind of surprise 'Kinder' is lacking, thrills even if you didn't ask for, and loud music creating a party atmosphere which is technically on a bus. All this at 8am on my way to work, for about 6 months and boy, have I gone through a caffeine detox.

Regardless of the lack of safety and comfort, riding the mini-taxi came with perks: huge savings on $$ on a weekly basis, learning to share came with a whole new set of meanings, AND I have also brushed up on my math skills. But in all seriousness, to ride the mini-taxi it also gave me a better sense of the South African people, mostly of the people who live in Cape Town. It was truly a pleasure to see kindness come out in people when mothers needed help with getting their babies or/and groceries on/off the taxi. When it came to getting your change back from the counter, others beside you would make sure short-changing never occured. And if it did, the counter would apologize and never question you. In my 6 months there, I only remember one incidence with short-changing someone and really, there was no need for hostility. I still make calculation errors in basic math.

Overall, it was a humbling experience. At times, I would purposefully make eye contact, with others sitting in a crammed bus to see if they too felt as if we were being treated like sardines. And guess what, they felt with me. If some of us where standing, or sitting on other people, all would speak out and frown on the driver. If someone needed to get off in the back, the front would take care of them and stop the driver. At anytime, I felt safe knowing that people would speak up for me. Collecting moneys from everyone became second nature as I never felt like someone would steal from me, nor anyone else. Inside the mini-taxi, we were the group, and we would take care of each other for the ride.

There was just one special day, a regular rush hour in a crammed mini-taxi (sign in the bus says maximum passengers 16, I counted 24 so I felt the need to text Dan about it) a woman summed up the kind of driving most mini-taxis deliver: "Driver, I rather be late for my appointment than arrive early to heaven!" And that is what I lived with for majority of my public commute.

As if I am explaining the most contradictory story to you. The unattractive mini-taxi, with an unattractive environment, with lack of safety, urging me to take up praying again. However, the kindness and genuineness of the passengers, and honesty of the counter, and an atmosphere most people pay big bucks for: party on a bus of course !

Oh, but how do you find these mini-taxis. Forgot one more important information. You don't ! They find you :-) There is honking every second or so on main streets and a little less on smaller places. However, when the taxi spots you, even if you have made an angry and irritated looking eye contact, the driver will honk at you a few times, and then the counter (also the guy who hangs out the side window calling for people) will yell at you to come and ride with them. It's like music on the streets. Listening to honking for 6 months, I almost miss the music the collectors and the honking combined makes.

"Seapoint, seapoint, seapoint ! HONK HONK HONK"

"Mowbray, Clairmont, Wynberg! HONK HONK HONK"

"Pyelviol" HONK HONK HONK

Mini-taxis carrying larger than life experiences.
R :-)

(all 3 pictures were found via Google images)