Hitchhiking

One of my biggest worries in Peace Corps Kenya was about the transport policy. I was rather vocal about my concerns, though I can certainly understand why my campaigns never really took off. Motorcycles and hitchhiking were completely banned under all circumstances (as were night travel, which I've previously discussed and bikes without helmets, which I would never argue against). In general, trains (if you're lucky to live along a train line), buses and matatus were the recommended modes of transportation. Of course, much of the time, volunteers were expected to be working in their communities, so the best mode of transport is probably a good pair of shoes.

At first glance, motorcycles seem wildly dangerous. The motorcycle policy is from previous days when motorcycle casualties were a sadly common occurrence. Many drivers are very unsafe in how they drive, and helmets are virtually unheard of. I always jumped slightly when I heard a motorcycle at night. Still, motorcycles were not the mode of transport that scared me the most.

I was most scared of matatus. The small minibuses that were often considered to be the best way of traveling from one town to another. In my village, I knew most of the drivers pretty well. I enjoyed hanging out with them around the village. I knew that they usually hung around the bars until 4 AM or so. They had certainly not sobered up by the time they started their route at 7. I never heard of any accidents (I suppose years of practice plays a role in that), but it always terrified me to ride in the morning matatu. I know that this isn't true for all morning matatus, usually untrue for afternoon matatus and presumably less common in city matatus, but that was only a small consolation

Whenever it was practical, I preferred to hitchhike. A lot of people automatically assume that hitchhiking is one of the worst ways to travel, but I felt no reservations about prioritizing my safety. I could generally find a ride at the police checkpoint (right next to my house), which meant that if any funny business went down (it never did), there were people who would know who to look for and make sure that I was okay. In general, the ride was faster, cheaper, more comfortable and a good opportunity to learn something (I met some really interesting people).

This is not to say that hitchhiking doesn't have lots of inherent dangers. I don't recommend it as a night-time activity, with cars that give you any funny feeling inside (trust your instincts) or when there is any better option. I just worry that too many people write it off too easily.