I like trotros. I like the feel of the city grit right out your window, humanity packed in like sardines hurtling through cars packed in like sardines. I like that the rich and the poor use them and that these things look like they are going to fall apart. This unique form of public/private transportation is wonderful. A mix of shared taxi and miniature bus, what’s not to love?

Well, I could have done without the angry mob my Trotro encountered on Tuesday. There is a gas station just before the particular tro stop my driver wanted to stop at. When the stop gets backed up with vans drivers like to cut through the gas station to get ahead of some traffic. We entered okay… but at the exit a mob of 15 guys with bricks and iron pipes were waiting in front of a barricade of tires. They were politely letting customers of the gas station by but had herded three trotros up and were harassing the drivers and mates (The guy who handles the money). Soon there was lots of yelling in Twi, the local language, and threatening gestures from both sides.

Oddly enough, all I could think of was being late for my assignment at Joy FM that morning. Ghanaians are not well known for being violent and luckily it was in fact mostly show. The driver eventually gave up and turned around and went back. As I looked up from my phone, contacting my coworker to let her know I would be late, one of the guys from the mob mooned us as we passed by on the road.