Living in Nigeria, I have seen some crazy things, especially they way people drive on Nigerian roads. It is quite common to see drivers going against traffic on the freeway because they don’t want to be inconvenienced and drive to the next off ramp. I have also been stuck in several traffic jams caused by herders who are moving their cattle from one location to the next through the streets of Abuja…A Capitol city no less…

A few mornings ago I watched as hitchhikers hopped a ride on a slow moving truck in the middle of traffic. I only wish I was paying more attention to what was going on because I could have caught it on video but I was busy flipping through my email.

The two men were standing on side of the road as if they were looking to stop a taxi. As we slowed to clear the speed bump, the men entered traffic as if they were crossing the road. All of a sudden they took off running. I thought I was watching an early morning robbery. The first guy leaped onto the back of the trailer and held on to the straps holding the cargo.

The second guy had to work a bit harder to catch the truck but with assistance from his friend, he was now hanging on to the straps. It was really exciting to watch because it was if I was watching a movie where men were hoping a ride on a cargo truck or train. But this is not that unusual in Nigeria. Stranger things happen on a daily basis.

As the traffic in the road builds during rush hour, drivers often take to the sidewalks to maneuver around the traffic buildup. Drivers do this with little or no regard for the pedestrians that are walking in the streets. Unfortunately, the police do very little curb this horrible habit.