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July 19, 2005
Drive-By Commerce on the Streets of Accra
Driving back from BusyInternet to my hotel in Achimota last night, my taxi got stuck in a morass of traffic, taking about 90 minutes to complete a drive that otherwise should have taken 25 minutes. We passed much of the time hanging R. Kelly's every word as he lamented the predicament of poor Rufus and Chuck in his epic "Trapped in a Closet" - chapters one through five.
Meanwhile, I got to observe how many commuters in Accra get their shopping done - by leaning out the window. In many places I've visited, it's been possible to have good sellers approach you while you sit in traffic, selling fruit, vegetables and the like. Here, though, I was struck by the sheer variety of goods available as you sat in traffic: toilet paper, bed linens, soccer balls, tampons, chocolate cookies, cases of Mentos (the FreshMaker!), batteries, Bibles and paper clips. I'll have to make a note of any other interesting goods I encounter over the next few days... -andy
Posted by acarvin at July 19, 2005 10:28 AM
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