If I was in position to gather a crowd of women and girls, I would quickly offer a serious lectures on good etiquette as a way of inculcating proper behaviour that is needed for women pride. How many times do we have to remind women not wear clothes which will reveal body parts that are supposed to be private even when seated on a motorcycle? Days have now turned to weeks since we started mourning our beloved ones for the 15th year, in commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The mood has been really low throughout the whole week, and the last thing I expected to see was this woman seated on a motor taxi exposing almost everything. This seemingly elderly woman did not even consider the fact that countless pairs of eyes were on her. Probably the best she could have done was to try and adjust her garments, but she did not seem to care. As a matter of fact, this is what prompted me to write about the need for good manners if at any one time, we (women) ever think of using such public means. The good news is that, our road safety tips demand that all passengers using these motorcycles sit in a manly way. It may be quite uncomfortable if at all you are wearing a skirt but in such situations it is best that one carries a scarf along to cover up whatever may be left for the wondering eyes to see. As the adage goes, “wonders will never cease to happen.” Last Sunday, I was left in shock by this young lady, who was almost half naked, seemed not bothered at all sitting on motorcycle, with an expression of ‘who cares!’ Passengers, who were in the taxi I was in, could not hold back their comments, as women hid their faces in disgust, while men gazed at her body. “Uyu noneho moto imwambuye ubusa!” a man in the back sit of the taxi exclaimed. Meaning that, (this motor bike passenger is naked.) As if that was not enough, she flung her round skirt as she let go of the taxi man’s back on which she had clung like a baby gorilla on its mother’s back at may be-the Volcanoes National Park at Kinigi. Different people attach all sorts of reasons to this poor etiquette that most of our ladies allow to run free as they use these bikes. “I think some girls do it intentionally, so they can sort of seduce the taxi guy,” Fred Nkurunziza in Gikondo said amid laughter. Another Geraldine Ingabire expressed disgust as I sought her view on this topic by emphasizing that all women who use public means endeavour to wear trousers at least if they expect to use motorcycles taxis. It is indeed common knowledge that in everyday life, we all might consider using such transport means for purposes of reaching our destinations on time. In Rwanda, motorcycles are highly used compared to other public transport means, due to their accessibility and swiftness even in the tightest bumper-to-bumper kind of traffic jam. It should however not be a reason for any kind of embarrassment whatsoever however together we should ensure that what is meant to be private remains private despite our means of transportation. In a relaxed survey, a good number of people discouraged the common habit of girls who wear low-cut trousers, thus revealing their behind body. Much as we do all other things with etiquette the same should be done even when using public means. virenam@gmail.com
