By Recently, I had a humorous encounter with a young girl. She was sitting in the front seat of the taxi I intended to board.
Here in Ibadan, two passengers sit beside the driver at the front, even though the seat is meant for just one passenger. It’s never comfortable, but we manage.
Micra taxi in Ibadan.
Image: Sunday Olaoye
The young girl was clearly coming from school, as she was wearing a school uniform, and she appeared to be around 14 or 15 years old.
I joined her in the front seat, and then she told me she wanted to alight, which meant I had to get out first. I did. The taxi had not yet moved; the driver was still ‘scrambling’ for a passenger to fill the back seat.
We both stepped out, and then the young girl asked me to take the seat where she had been sitting earlier. I was surprised—she wanted me to sit beside the driver while she took the seat by the door.
Curious, I patiently asked why she wanted me to sit beside the driver. She replied that the space wasn’t comfortable for her. Wawu!
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At that point, I had to ‘change it for her’. “My dear, will you go in and sit?” She frowned but obeyed.
Initially, I was annoyed. I couldn’t fathom her audacity. But instead of dwelling on my irritation, I decided to speak to her gently.
I asked for her name, and she responded reluctantly. Then I explained that if that spot wasn’t comfortable for her, with her small stature, how did she imagine it would be comfortable for me (who also has a small stature, though)?
For days, I couldn’t get this encounter out of my head. Then it occurred to me that Gen Z and Gen Alpha have certain things in common. You have to be intentional about instilling moral values in them. They are naturally inclined to question authority and traditions. However, with love and patience, you can instil the right values in them. You must be ready to answer their questions and provide justifiable reasons for asking them to do anything.
