You can take the girl out of Toronto, but you can't take the TTC bashing out of the girl - My Take on Accra's TroTro transit system

VS.

Those who know me best, or even just met me for a brief few seconds, know that when the word "TTC" is mentioned, I pull a soap box out of my bag (or Jenn's giant purse), stand on it, put on a top hat and give my rant. At times, I will glue a moustache on just for credibility's sake.

For family and friends outside Toronto, the TTC is Toronto's Public Transit system (Toronto Transit Commission = TTC). When one lives in Toronto for more than a year, one develops the quintessential Toronto passtime - complaining about the inefficiency, lack of customer service and cost of the TTC. I'm not sure if it is something in the water or what... but the point is, the true test of a Torontonian is whether or not they can properly articulate at least one complaint about the TTC.

Today, in Accra, I took the popular transit system to work on what is called the Tro Tro. To quote from the Ghanaweb page, a Tro Tro is "a crowded, but efficient and inexpensive minibus used for short distance travel." I have placed a google pic above from another Canadian's blog "www.chris-in-ghana.blogspot.com" (thank you Chris from New Brunswick) because I was too nervous to bring my camera on the trip today.

I was quite intimidated by the adventure at first for two reasons:

1) I wasn't quite sure where I was going.

2) I look like I'm not quite sure where I'm going.

I was told by my office mates to wait for the Tro Tro with a Mate (the guy who shouts the stops and opens and closes the doors) that shouts Circle and does a little spinny gesture with his hands. This Tro Tro came quite speedily, picked me up, and left quite speedily with the door still closing squished next to others on their way to work or school.

Once at Circle, I had to cross through a busy market place that reminded me of Old Jerusalem (the area in Israel... not like pictures of Jersulam in the olden days) and land on the other side of a bridge to a parking lot called Something-that-rhymes-with-Madonna where another set of Tro Tros were loading. I was to take the Spintex Tro Tro all the way to Something-that-rhymes-with-Costar (not a word I know).

I would not have known where the hell I was going through Circle had a kind man not helped me. I offered him a Cedi for his help, to which he refused and asked for my phone number instead. I said I don't have a phone and placed the Cedi in his shirt pocket.

As the Tro Tro took off to Spintex, I couldn't help but compare it to the TTC and charted out the following List of Comparisons while riding:

TRO TRO vs. TTC

Tro Tro costs the equivalent of 20 - 75 cents. The TTC costs 3$. Tro Tro Wins.

Tro Tro doesn't follow a set path to destination, goes literally anywhere to avoid traffic vs. TTC has set routes, most of which face horrible traffic. Tro Tro Wins with minor demerit because this makes getting lost on the Tro Tro a lot worse than getting lost on the TTC...this will be touched upon later.

Tro Tro, though crowded, carries only as many as it can seat vs. TTC you are often left standing. Tro Tro Wins.

Tro Tro has no set schedule but comes very frequently vs. TTC has set schedule and comes infrequently. Ok... the subways are pretty on-time. TIE.

Tro Tro does not, I repeat does NOT shout out the name of the stop unless you asked the Mate at the beginning for the stop-that-rhymes-with-costar vs. TTC states stops very very clearly. TTC Wins... Gabrielle Loses.

Five stops past the stop-that-rhymes-with-coster, way past any buildings I recognize and several minutes after some passengers laugh that they think I missed my stop, I get off the Tro Tro and call the saviour to all my troubles, Mr. Adusei.

"Did you get off at Coastal?" He asks.

"OH! Coastal! This makes much more sense."

"Where are you? Is there a bank near you?"

"I am just in front of the Love Pentecostal Church and across from The Lord's Hair and Beauty Shop...." no response for Mr. Adusei. "There seems to be a booth selling phone cards?" (phone card booths are at every inch of Ghanian land) "I think I'm lost."

After asking various kind strangers for directions and having one speak to Mr. Adusei on my phone, I ended up at a gas station on a major road where Mr. Adusei kindly picked me up and drove me back to Abantu.

My supervisor and I found a better more efficient Tro Tro route for my return home.

Deliberation: Tro Tros are cheap, efficient and frequent but if you have your pick, I would strongly suggest getting lost on the TTC.