The Barber’s Shop Jaw-Jaw on Driving and Phoning

On Saturday 13th February, I was at KAX barber for a haircut preparatory to Sunday for my Valentine date. The date was not with any other but with God Almighty for divine preservation in the face of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Incidentally, I was also scheduled on the same day to attend the Church service for late Professor Femi Odekunle which was held at the Methodist Church, Wuse Zone in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. For the records, KAX barbers is situated at Discovery Mall in Wuse 2, in Abuja the Federal Capital Territory. Kax barbers have been my barber for over twenty years whenever I am in the Federal Capital Territory. In all this years, I have refrained from the usual barbers talk, gossips, arguments and sometimes debate on sundry issues ranging from politics, economy, security as well as road safety and even marriage.

My exception is only when the discussion slants onto football; on Arsenal and Barcelona. Unfortunately, since the last two or three seasons have not been the best of times for such discussions especially with the sloppy form of both teams, I rarely Ànd such discussions interesting. Even Chikezie, my barber who incidentally is a Barca die-hard fan has since stopped wearing his personal designer Barca jersey which was his pastime when Barcelona Football Club was in top form. Unlike Chikezie, I still adorn myself with my specially branded Arsenal jersey irrespective of their annoying and unpredictable form. To be candid, the sloppy form of both Arsenal and Barcelona can change your COVID-19 test result from negative to positive because of the tension we go through daily watching both teams Áounder.

Last Saturday, I made a costly blunder and an exception when while cutting my hair, a customer who was waiting for his turn expressed his displeasure and anger at a Federal Road Safety Corps patrol team in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.The team according to him stopped him for driving and holding his phone. He expressed his reservations on the eͿrontery of the FRSC o΀cial to stop him for such, which according to him is not even a tra΀c infraction. It was at this point that another customer who is an acquaintance quickly informed the other customer that the road safety oga-pointing to me, is even here. At this point, I did what I told you earlier that I promised myself never to engage in any of the past times that is the hallmark of barbing salons; the gossips, arguments, debates and marriage talks.

The Àrst thing I did was to address my friend who was bragging and boasting that he cannot be given a citation by FRSC patrol teams for driving with an ear piece. To deal with his ignorance, I politely told him that the use of an ear piece was not allowed as it was not legal because of the inherent dangers. I also informed him that I will be too glad to pull him over and give him a citation, should I accost him driving and using his earpiece.

While we both were laughing over my clariÀcation, I then turned to the other customer and explained to him that the National Road Tra΀c Regulations, 2012 prohibits the use of the phone while driving. In clear interpretation, this means that you are not allowed to use any facility therein contained in your cute sized mobile phone because of the inherent safety dangers. I was however shocked when he cut in or rather interrupted my clariÀcations by describing the law that prohibits the use of phone while driving as draconian. When I saw his hard posture, I told him to please allow me explain or I will keep quiet. It was at this point that he said that if I won’t listen, then I am not ready to learn. I politely pleaded with him that I was in a hurry to catch up with my church appointment to honor the late Professor Odekunle.

The thrashing I received from this hardliner on Saturday was as embarrassing as the humiliating thrashing the PSG- led Kylian Mbappe handed my BARCA superstars. The thrashing is similar to what most patrol operatives experience from the immune road users who believe that they can never be involved in a road tra΀c crash. For such road users, no amount of education or persuasion on the intent of government through the enabling tra΀c laws will change their outburst. I have therefore decided for the sake of people like this customer who would always carpet government decisions or laws, chosen to share this material with my readers. It is not a new material but a material I stumbled on over Àve months ago which I found very refreshing and interesting. I do hope you would Ànd it enriching especially if you fall in the category of the addicts of phoning behind the wheel.

I do not know if you are in the same category with the very educated and knowledgeable motorists who see the law on use of phone behind the wheel as draconian. Maybe you are not but you are among the diehard who insist they cannot do without making calls or texting . Maybe you do not text while you drive, but you are guilty of using talk-to-text or other features? Or are you in the category of drivers especially female drivers who indulge in taking pictures with their phone while driving or maybe you are like a VIP I once accosted who was driving and reading his mail along the busy and accident prone Giri junction in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. Or are you among the ones who insist that the law cannot bar them from using Google map while driving. If you Àt into any of these category, you might want to set your phone down instead.