I Heard it on a Taptap

Public transportation – Marche taptap is the primary means of travel for most Haitian. Buses, flat-bed trucks, and pickups constantly circulate the main arteries of every city; others go in an out from city to town and back again. Shout out your destination in order to confirm the route, and then try to find a place to sit or to stand or at least, something to hold on to.

Read the stickers left over from Wicanoma School District – 48 PASSENGER LIMIT (I stopped counting at 100, only because I couldn’t see the front of the bus), DARE (I have seen no signs of substance abuse, public drinking and cigarette smoking is rare – perhaps there are a few benefits to abject poverty!)

Taptaps are always crowded; drivers do not leave until their vehicle is full and then stop along the ways cramming in more passengers who wave them down along the way. Expect your senses to working at a level equivalent to standing room only – touch, sound, smell, sight, and taste can all get an intense workout during every ride. Shoppers and merchants will be traveling with 50 lb. sacks of rice, cardboard trays stacked with eggs, plastic basins piled high with mangoes, avocadoes, or citrus; bag of charcoal; live chickens or ducks tethered with twine (fortunately goats banned to the roof); and of course many large plastic bags filled to the brim and carefully sealed to hide its contents from prying eyes.

All the machines are old, beat-up, and continually repaired. One school bus, leaned far to the left, at first I feared we were so top heavy that we would end up in the ditch; each time we hit a bump you could feel the frame hit the axle. Another bus, first stop for a flat tire; it was fixed on the spot, taking only 30 minutes. One kilometer later the front suspension collapsed, metal parts scattered on the ground. As we got out of the bus, a second bus pulled up and we all jumped in. The first driver lost all his fare paying passengers, but we were on our way again!

I have had one week of Kryeol lessons and not studied French in 35 years. Accordingly, my first-hand understanding of taptap conversations is visceral not intellectual. However, the dialogues are lengthy, the ride is long, and every word is spoken at full volume – for everyone’s sake. Upon translation, I am amazed! Is food obligatory or necessary? Is a woman’s place in the home or in the work place? Does sugar cane make you stupid and lazy? Will you be my best friend?