Transport Woes: A woman’s plight

Image Courtesy of Abstract Art

If you don't drive your own car, commuting to work is always a hassle. When you live in a country with its own economic demons, it gets even more complicated. You have to choose between being early and getting a cheaper ride.

Getting back from work one fine day, I managed to hop into a car after many failed attempts. The pressure of trying to get into the car is something that I cannot even start talking about.

One picture pops into my head whenever I remember this day. While wearing my earphones, I sat by the window. This is my most comfortable position when travelling because I get to observe and see a lot of things as I pass by. And indeed, that day I saw something, a happy and sad picture that stuck with me until this very moment.

I saw a man riding his bicycle, behind him on that very same bicycle was a woman who was sat facing sideways, apposition that I presume was not the most comfortable. The reason why she sat like that is because she had a baby on her back.

It was a sweet sight because the man cared enough not to leave the woman and the baby behind but to carry them on the only mode of transport that he had and because the woman is a mother could not leave the baby behind. These people whom I believed to be a family had to do what they had to regardless of whether it was the safest thing to do or not.

Trust me carrying a baby on your back while on a bicycle is not the safest thing to do but as I was looking at these people, I realized this is not an isolated case. My mind quickly reminded me of similar incidents that I have seen before, women on bicycles, motor bikes only to mention a few.

This is a picture that I come across almost on a daily basis on my way to work. One would think that an employed woman is a liberated woman but then again, it’s not all of these women who own cars. The nightmare that they go through just to get to work is unbearable. Often times I have seen people rushing to get into what are commonly referred to as “open trucks “and it’s a sad sight, women being pushed left right and center the same applies when trying to get an affordable bus or any other mode of transport

When it comes to public transport. women encounter a lot of problems generally because of their sex. A lot of sexual harassment takes place in public transportation and little to nothing is done about it. A woman’s personal space and freedom is often violated because public transports are overcrowded. It is disturbing how many women feel uncomfortable while standing in a crowded bus and the men behind her tries to push her from behind. Sadly, nothing is done about these unfortunate incidents.

The big question is when will a woman start feeling safe?

Until then the only thing that women can do is to be each other’s keeper and to speak out 

Feministry!

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