March 2005
The Adventure of a Lifetime!
I have recently spent eight days riding in a tap tap in Port au Prince, Haiti – Who needs Disney World? First let me describe "La Machine". It was a very under-powdered four-cylinder diesel mini-pickup. It had a camper top, a dead battery and NO brakes!! There were no liners inside the doors and thus nowhere to rest your arm. So, of course all I heard was "get your elbow inside". The windshield was cracked and there was a coat hanger attached under the door lock and that was how you opened the door to get out. The window would not roll up and down so you had to attach a vise grip to the ‘hickey’ where the knob used to be and spin it around to get them opened. AND our tap tap was one of the good ones!
Our drivers name was Roberto, Robert in English, and of course I nicknamed him ‘Bob". By the time we left he was Bob – never heard it before, couldn’t spell it, that that is who he is now.
The streets of Port au Prince are a nightmare. First of all there are no traffic laws, rules or regulations. It is everyone for themselves! And without a good horn you are in deep trouble! Vehicles are going every which a way, coming at you from the side, from the front (same lane), merging in next to, in front of, behind and next to you – IF you give them a break. Three cars side by side in one lane do not get very far, very fast! Not only are the streets up and down steep hills. There are literally and truly potholes bigger than washtubs and ruts that tilt the cars. I saw front wheel cars stuck in a pothole in dry dust and not able to get out. Roads that were passable on the last trip were often completely unpassable now as the infrastructure continues to crumble. The people were crowded on both sides of the road walking along; seemingly unaware they are about to be killed any minute. They walk out in front of the cars and wiggle through the maze of traffic. It is a wonder anyone survives!
Our driver "Bob" was amazing, he actually got all of us everywhere we were going with ‘no problems’. Going down a hill or to stop the truck he would gear down and pull the hand emergency brake. To start the car you had to be on the side of a hill – no problem there – and let it roll fast enough until he could jumpstart it. Of course the problem you have is all the other drivers want the same spot you are heading for or people decide at that moment to step out in front of you! One time the tap tap rolled, slowed down and rolled some more until we got to a flat spot. What do we do now with no battery and no starter? Fortunately there was a guy with a tractor front-end loader and he gave us a push. (see attached picture) Like I said, who needs Disney World or Six Flags? I think I’ll just go back to Haiti and get my kicks there…
Called,
Dewaine Seese
