No Mo Pen-Pens in Monro

This past week the Liberia National Police (LNP) issued a motorcycle ban for all the main streets of Monrovia. For more information, check out this BBC article about the ban. The motorcycle ban in Monrovia is a good idea in theory, but did these people really think about the potential effects before they enacted the ban? Probably not. Just like everything else here. As a pedestrian and taxi passenger, I appreciate that the roads are clearer and safer. However, taxi prices are going up (although only small-small, it's still an unexpected incerase) and people are literally stranded on the roads, waiting for a ride. This isn't happening just in central Monrovia either; in the surrounding transportation hubs, like Red Light and Duala, the roads are even more congested than ever. The overflow of people must now join the market vendors, who already take over a good portion of the road, causing for even less space on the already-crowded roads for the cars. It boils down to a simple conclusion: there are just too many people and not enough taxis. (If only there could be more mass transit options, such as buses, if only!) As I write this, I'm sitting in the PC Office in Congo Town, one of the outlying municipalities of Monrovia. To get back to my village in the bush, I have to take at least 4 different taxis: first from Congo Town through Sinkor to the central downtown area (Broad St.), then to Duala (I'm so looking forward to the traffic), then to Tubmanburg where the coal tar ends, then finally through a bumpy, muddy, rocky road back to Gbarma. And all that really isn't bad at all! Fortunatately, I'm one of the PCVs that lives near the capital, one the the "lucky west-siders". But let's see how getting back to site this afternoon goes. I estimate 5-6 hours. Maybe I should start working on that teleportation invention now....