Safety and Travel passenger be ware
Why you should avoid food from strange passengers
By Felix Desouza
My trip to Bungoma ends up with loss of my luggage and money . Why ? Because I ate biscuits offered to me by a fellow passenger .
Schools were opening and I was in my final year in high school . I was excited to be almost done with that obstacle in life . I stayed with my parents in Nairobi , but I had to travel to Bungoma for school .
Last minute travel arrangements had worked for me . For some reason , on this particular day , I was not able to find my favourite bus for the preferred date of travel . I settled on taking the available “ fill as we go ” bus option from the Machakos bus terminus .
Sure enough , the bus filled up quite fast , accommodating all people . Bus fare was also slashed to the lowest I had ever paid .
I secured a seat next toa window . Next to me , sat a lady who introduced herself as Truphena . This would probably be the last lady I talk to before resuming the hard school life .
For these long journeys , buses always make a stopover in major towns for passengers to relieve themselves and buy
food . The bus we were in made a stop , but not in the places Iwas used to . This particular stopover was far from town , but in a small trade center . I was extra careful with my luggage .
I quickly went to relieve myself , having my backpack on sight all through . I was not hungry and I went back to the bus without purchasing anything .
While seated quietly waiting to continue with the journey , there was a gentle knock on the window . Looking out , I saw an elderly woman strugglingto sell snacks from a carton box . Before I could brush her off , Truphena quickly held the window open and asked me to get her a packet of biscuits from the lady . She handed me cash and the womanhandedover biscuits .
I handed them over to Truphena before leaning back to rest . After eating a few pieces , she offered me a piece , holding the packet close to me . I had never accepted food from other passengers in the past travels .
But this time , it felt okay . After all , I had witnessed her buy the biscuits . I picked a piece and ate . I then fell into deep sleep .
I woke up feeling thirsty . But there was something strange with the environment I was in : I was surrounded by untidy people in a grungy room . It felt like a dream . I was in a police cell .
That was shocking . One of the cellmates narrated to mehow all that happened . Apparently , I was left in the bus sleeping after all passengers had alighted . The bus conductor woke me up after which I started fighting him .
That got me arrested , my cellmate told me . At the cell , I picked a fight with one of the inmates who gave me a blow on the head , knocking me out . The cellmates surrounded me waiting for me to wake up and see my next move . I had no recollection of any of that . Last I remember was taking the last bite of the biscuit .
Iwas called to the police station reception . My parents
10 September 2017