When running away from danger causes you trouble

Over the weekend, I heard a hilarious story that left my sides aching.

This man, a father of three in his 40s, was on his way to work when he spotted a group of people lying face down on the ground, hands on their heads. Standing over them was a man brandishing a gun, threatening to shoot anyone who dared to move.

Believing that he had walked into an ongoing daylight robbery, his first thought was to take off, but then he imagined a bullet tearing into his fleeing back and decided to lie on the ground too, and place his hands on his head.

If it was just money the thug wanted, he thought to himself, then he would live to see another day because he had about three thousand bob in his pocket.

That, coupled with the money the others had, surely the thug would be satisfied and let them go, right?

As he lay there, he suddenly heard people laughing heartily. After a few seconds, he cautiously lifted his head, only to find the bunch that had been lying on the ground sitting up, laughing their heads off.

Even more confusing, the gunman was laughing too. Hard to believe, but he had walked into the scene of a movie that was being shot! In his confusion, the poor man, who was covered in dirt, had not seen the filming crew with their big cameras and all.

HERD MENTALITY

With cases of gun-toting criminals on the rise, had I walked into such a scenario, I too would have dropped to the ground without a second thought. What I will try my level best not to do, however, is break into a run simply because others around me are doing it. Here’s why.

A month or so ago, a relative was window shopping along Nairobi’s Moi Avenue and minding her business when suddenly, she saw people running, faces looking terrified. Instinctively, she broke into a run too, following the fleeing men and women as fast as her heels could allow her.

But after a few metres, someone grabbed her arm, and violently twisted it, bringing a brutal end to her flight. Before she knew it, she was being shoved into the back of an old, rickety, smelly van that she would soon find out belonged to the City County. Minutes later, the van was crammed with hawkers who sell their wares in the CBD.

These are the people she had seen running for dear life, or to be precise, running from county askaris. Had she taken a moment to look around her, she would have figured out what was happening and avoided the situation she was in. Anyway, as the rusty van sputtered towards City Hall, the poor girl tried to explain that hers was wrongful arrest, only for the kanjo who had bundled her into the vehicle to ask her why she had been running away if she were as innocent as she claimed to be.

To cut a long story short, she was finally released when someone who must have been the head kanjo reluctantly pointed out that her dressing and shoes did not fit the crime she was being accused of.

So please, if you see a group of Nairobians running, resist the sheep mentality and pause and look around you for a few seconds to gauge whether to run or not, or better still, dive into the nearest shop selling clothes — they are so many, they can accommodate everyone in the city.

These two incidents brought to mind this habit we have of stopping to ask what is happening whenever we see a group of people talking animatedly. I challenge you to stand somewhere one of these days and stare at the sky, or a building, or a tree.

I guarantee you that within a few minutes, you will have attracted a sizable crowd, craning their necks towards heaven, trying to see what you’re seeing. To have more fun, say that you spotted a small green man up there, and you can be sure that at least two people will claim to have spotted the green man too.

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FEEDBACK: Grappling with our differences

I would first like to put emphasis on the first paragraph about the rains in Nairobi, especially in the CBD. I have observed whenever the first drops hit the ground, some things change automatically. Bus fares hike, traffic builds up and people rush — with some even risking being knocked down by vehicles.

Ladies do everything to ensure that their heads are covered. My credit goes to those who brave the rain to sell umbrellas, which I’m yet to understand where they come from so soon, bearing in mind that rains sometimes sound no warning.

Another thing that caught my eye is the time both men and women take when deciding on what to wear. In my view, if ladies could extend the same act of being meticulous in other areas where care is required, then it would be of great help to everyone.

Looking at our needs, it is evident that they vary from one individual to another. Such variation may be brought about by factors such as one’s stage in life or their tastes and preferences. Human needs seem to be insatiable — because upon satisfaction of one need, another one emerges.                                                           

Mutua

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From our peculiar habits to our uniqueness, it is high time we celebrated each other. Life will always remain a mystery and the only thing left is to live it to the fullest.

Macharia

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Many are the times I find myself in the situation your colleagues were debating where to kill time, drink or watch soccer while somebody else is wishing they could borrow that cash or the time I’m wasting away.                    

 Ndung’u