You know how people come up with resolutions they have no intentions of seeing through? Yeah, well, in my case, this time I will make it happen. 

Last year I made a New Year’s resolution not to make any New Year’s resolutions because I always immediately break them. Of course I didn’t remember making this resolution until I was in a taxi one day sitting in minor traffic and getting really steamed about all the rude people in the taxi.

I don’t know if it is a Rwandan thing but every time I’m in a taxi, there is some fellow who thinks we are all interested in the phone conversation he is having. Then, there is the clown who also thinks that playing his cheap radio loud will cheer other passengers up. This one time, as if it wasn’t bad enough that I had to be subjected to ‘Kandamazi’ as early as 8am, this chick went ahead to sing along to the song in a pitch so high, if the taxi conductor hadn’t yelled ‘mumuji’ a couple of times, I could have sworn I was fluking a ride in her car. 

As I sat there wondering if my day could get any worse, at the KBC stop, in walked an even bigger problem. This guy first of all dressed like a really retarded version of Lil Wayne, he had this hop in his walk like one foot was jigger infested and if you think that was bad, think again – he also smelled like he had run a week-long marathon. I had never been so desperate for air. Being the old machines our dear taxis are, the bloody window was stuck and I had to bear his stench all the way to town!

Now, it was not my place to complain to his face about what he wore or how he smelled considering he was paying the same fare. But did he have to chew gum so annoyingly close to my ear? I seriously felt like his chewing was going on in my head. I tried to move a little further, but seeing as we were seated four people, I didn’t get far. 

I tried to ask him not to chew so close to my ear but when he opened his mouth to say something back, I really wished he hadn’t. I went no further than Kimicanga. I literally jumped on the first moto to get a feel of what fresh air is like. It’s like I hadn’t felt it for years!

So, back to those resolutions, since I can’t just snap my fingers and buy a car, I have made it my sole mission to save money starting January to buy myself a decent ride - preferably something that won’t make me want to gag every time I’m in it. Also, should I feel gracious and decide to give someone a lift somewhere, if the car is mine, I do not have to tolerate anything unpleasant. 

Happy New Year!