taxi gaatjies eish

taxi gaatjie

http://www.flickr.com/photos/irene2005/3604498004/

It was past 8 in the morning on my way to CPUT and I was in a taxi. While I was in a taxi I smelled something offish, and I thought it was just the air coming outside because the taxi was standing next to a rubbish bin. As the taxi gets fuller I moved towards the door because the windows could not open at the back.  

I was sitting next to the taxi conductor (gaatjie) and that horrible smell comes back.I was still not sure what this horrible smell is then I asked the gaatjie to move away from the window unfortunately he cannot because there was no space so he had to stand right where he was. 

I realised that the smell is actually coming from his breath, his arm pits infect from his body . It was clear that he has not been bathing for days because if it was just one day he would not be smelling like a dust bin with rotten food.  I again look at him and he said undinjonga ntoni sisi meaning what are you look at.  I could not tell him that I am looking at him because he is smelly. 

Each and every time he opens the window it was like he was opening a can of a fish/ lucky star. I felt nausea, I swear if I had no water around me I would have vomited in his face because he was giving me attitude and very rude. I could not wait to get off that taxi the way I was so fed-up by his smell and attitude.

I always wonder why most of taxi conductors don’t wash because it takes few minutes to bath not hours. These people know that they work with people but it is so hard for them to bath. As a person you know that if you don’t bath you will smell offish so why is it hard for certain people to bath. Lastly why do the taxi drivers don’t tell their gaatjies to wash because it is rare to find a smelly taxi driver.  It is a shame to people who do not have cars because we have to deal with this everyday.