Metro Shuttles, KBS, Dreams and electric shocks

I remember when I was leaving Kenya, Metro Shuttles had just run aground.It seems KBS had not been paying GM for the shuttles so as they defaulted the shuttles were taken back.
I used to love taking Metro Shuttles when I was going to Westlands, Lavington and Karen.They were a welcome change from the pushing, cramped matatus with their oft rude touts.It was not uncommon for someone to forget something in a shuttle and to find it a few days later intact.The Michuki affiliated Citi Hoppas came into the market to rival Metro Shuttles and on the on set were doing a good job but still came in at a distant second.As they expanded and took over with the demise of Metro Shuttles standards plummeted and they began acting like their cavalier matatu counter parts.I do hope that someone comes in to fill the gap for quality transport that has been left open by Metro shuttle.

Metro Shuttle, you shall be missed; sniff sniff...

I am sure that the picture above is one that many of us can relate to.I will confess that in all the places that I lived I never did use Kenya Bus much but each ride was one to remember.I recall the days when no KBS lacked a preacher.A friend mine told me he had a neighbour who would get into the bus at Ngong and preach all the way to the city centre so as to get a free ride to work and do the same thing in the evening.I am sure some of us have also been in a KBS or Kayboo as they were sometimes reffered to, the last time I remember was when I was going to see a friend in Golf Course and the bus gave up the ghost just before the Memorial Forces Hospital (or I think that is what the Army hospital was called). I also remember the decrepit state of some of those buses which I think last saw water when Moses parted the Red Sea. Another bus I once rode in had a maize cob as the gear shift. Then I am sure we all remember how hard those seats were, I think the makers were economising on the use of stuffing.Since mismanagement, record losses and lack of investors are making it so that KBS will go the route of Uchumi, I do hope that some matatus cover those routes that were only serviced by KBS in the past.

Nick, Nick!Is that you?

Of course with the coming of the Michuki rules and the ban on multi-colored matatus we were ushered from this.



To this...blech!!!

Driving in Nairobi has become a really drab experience!I don't want to go into a matatu flashback thread (I'll leave that to Nick) but the Mat with the graffiti reminds me of some popular Mats of years gone by like Ricochet and KYC 100.But with the good come the bad!I also remember when we lived in Spring Valley if you had to travel by Matatu you steeled yourself!First of all it was a long ass walk to the bus stop and then a long wait for a matatu or the rare bus.Add to this the fact that these were the pre-Michuki days so you got into the Matatu (they were no nissans so it was only mini buses) and you were squeezed like sardines in an undersized tin.Then on the way back if you were not fast enough to get to the door, your stage was passed so you had an extra mile to walk.Let's just say as a result we learned time management skills real soon real fast so as to avoid making uneccesary trips, then we made friends with mobile neighbours even faster and then sweet talked the folks into letting us use the car whenever possible.The most annoying thing is that sometime after we moved the route got nissan minibuses!!!Aaaaaaaargh!!!!!!!!

I was one of those lucky few whose jobs did not neccesitate them being in town late as both of my long term jobs were either near home or provided transport.I used to have a workmate who lived in Eastlands and when the staff bus used to drop him in town we used to see the line that would snake around a building twice!What he would do was go get a snack or meet someone for a drink so that when he'd be done the line would be way shorter.Luckily my route never had that same problem.But I do recall once being stuck in one of Nairobi's infamous traffic jams and the guy sitting next to me had a cold and was sniffing and sneezing all over the damn place.I really wanted to throw him out of the window as I knew what would happen....yes I got a cold the very next day!

It is often said that houses especially those made of stone and certain woods store psychic energy that increases as the house gets older.This is one reason that old houses are the sites of hauntings and why some people will never by a house that someone has died in especially if it is old because it is believed that the ghost of the person may come to life or the memories held within its' walls will be reanimated hence voices in the middle of nowhere etc.Anyway I am not saying my house is haunted but I do tend to have a sensitive 6th sense (when I choose to sharpen it and listen to it) and I think somehow it has been peaked by this new house.I am having the most vivid dreams ever until I am considering going to bed with a notebook at my side.Last night I had a dream about a an old chic pal.She was one of those chics who knew who how to bend men to her will but when it came to me, I was like the moth who knew that the bright flame always burns so I was always wary around her. It also doesn't help that I was very laid back and soft spoken unlike the loud gung ho dudes whom she often ended up with.So that made her find me fascinating.She also used to think silent chilled out dudes were the hardest nuts to crack as you don't know what's going on in their heads.We did go out a few times but I think our joint suspicions made it hard for anything to happen.She's in Dubai now and actually got in touch the other day.It just got me to thinking how many times we end up being with people not because we are head over heels or taken with them but because we feel comfortable and in control of our emotions with them but then at times people get to thinking what could have been with that other person and you end up with an affair.I have had a host of other dreams but I usually forget them within the first hour unless I put them down on paper.Sleeping in this new house will always be an adventure!

Now for the AOB.Does anyone know how I can give myself an electric shock without frying myself?For some strange reason I have been having the yearning for an electric shock (no I am not depressed!).And no, I will not stick a knife into a socket!
ps:With the length of my latest posts you can guess how busy my office is!