Polls and Protests

Thanks for voting in my first ever poll. I guess ultimately agree that 600 Euros is one sweet pay day. It's the lifelong emotional damage, which I've already supressed, that I'm most concerned about ;)
Now, what to spend that money on...

Judging by the time of this post if you happen to bother to do the math, you mght think I should be volunteering right now. This is true, however, I've run into a bit of a snag, as has most of the city. The mini bus taxis are on strike! The government wants buses to take over transportation in and around Cape Town to ensure they have a proper system in place for the 2010 World Cup. This will put lots of people out of work and replace the mini buses I find so convenient. There are few problems with them - could be dangerous to get into from a personal safety and a vehicular safety perspective and they allegedly have mob type affiliations and are used to transport drugs and I'm guessing launder money, as well. However, they are affordable and efficient. Just yesterday, I felt right back at home once I hopped in for my first ride in 4 1/2 years. With signs like 'please keep the taxi clean, it is not a junk bin' and 'better to arrive late to work than early to hospital' how can you not feel good once crammed inside with 15-20 other passengers. I actually rode in a new one yesterday, I was delayed slightly when the driver pulled over for petrol but he was sure to make up the lost time as he raced down main road.

Hoping the strike doesn't last long as it keeps me even more stranded and I'd like to get back to homework time with the kids. I'm sure hundreds of thousands are hoping it doesn't last much longer either - the long walks many of the domestic workers face are obviously less than ideal.

Please feel free to share your thoughts on the expansion of public transport. If these mini buses go, I will certainly miss the money collector, his whistle and yelling out - aiy oh, Mowbray, Claremont, Wyenberg.