TAXI

I am becoming quite the little rider of taxi vans here in South Africa. They have the traditional taxis here, too, but they cost a whole lot. However, for about 60 cents I can ride on a taxi van all the way from Delft to Bellville (where I'm staying). I know that means nothing to you, but it's about a 20-30 min ride. Then I get off at Bellville and walk for 30 mins to my house. I like riding in the taxis for many reasons: 1) I don't feel like a burden to my host family, 2) I can leave when I want because I'm not waiting on a ride, 3) I get to be more in the every day life of a large portion of the population, and 4) it shocks everyone every time they find out I'm riding in taxis now. Well, apparently the taxis are supposed to be quite dangerous, and there are even richer people around here that say that you couldn't pay them enough to ride in one. Well, I have had no problems, and in fact the first time I rode in one from Nelson Mandela Peace Park to the Delft Clinic, the driver asked me when we got there (because I had a seat right up front next to him) if I was working there. I told him yes and started to get out some money (R4 to be exact), but then the driver told me to keep my money! Not only was I not mugged, but I didn't even have to pay for the ride! I really like the people here. I know there are bad people too, so don't think that I let my guard down, but there are also just a lot of really nice people. I figure riding taxis in the day time should be perfectly safe... the worst that would happen is that I would be pick-pocketed, and I 'm careful, so I don't see that happening. Afterall, nobody is going to actually just rob you in broad daylight with tons of people around (most likely as long as i'm not TRYING to be robbed by doing stupid things), and I resist my temptation to take out my digital camera and snap photos the whole way, so I should be fine, as long as it's not one of the days when the taxi drivers are having their wars and gunning each other down, and I would probably know beforehand if that were to happen b/c people have a tendency to know these things and tell each other if it's not okay to take the taxi. not that i would actually be in the loop on that, but i'll just make the committment now, not to get on a taxi van if nobody else is on it. so yeah, apparently there are different companies of taxi van drivers that are very similar to gangs and they have had some wars in the past. but you wouldn't know it now by the looks of things now, and so I ride happily along in my taxi van, crammed in a tiny space with 15 other people.