WATCH: Taxi driver travels in reverse on JHB road
There's something about living through the taxi chronicles in South Africa that makes the most unheard-of practices normal.
Experiencing something out of the ordinary while riding in a taxi is almost a given in our beautiful country, and honestly, it’s probably spot on.
From using taxis as the backdrop to a prank to creating relatable content that unites commuters across South Africa, we’ve seen it all.
No matter how bizarre the actions of taxi drivers may be, South Africans are always ready to turn those moments into a way to connect with fellow commuters. A recent video shared on social media, with over 4.6 million views, has embraced the popular "sobonana emathuneni" trend.
Yanda Ntshingila shared how she was travelling in a taxi that supposedly ran out of petrol and started driving in reverse. As we watched closely, things didn’t quite add up, and we were left trying to figure out what the driver was attempting.
The driver is reversing on a one-way road, heading straight into oncoming traffic. Perhaps he was trying to avoid traffic or go through oncoming traffic for a passenger and found himself in a pickle when he ran out of petrol...
Or perhaps it’s as @nkuriso_mkhenso explains: "When you go uphill, the petrol moves to the back of the tank, and the pipes are at the front. Reversing helps keep the fuel at the top of the pipe."
Check out the video below – courtesy of TikTok.
@yanda_ntshingila 🕊️😩 The taxi didn’t have petrol, so we had to drive in reverse. Ngoba iyahamba noma ingena petrol ngo reverse✋ lapho drive ubeRude ini. #taxichronicles #emathunesan #taxidriverkdrama #taxi ♬ original sound - Sandisiwe Mathamo
The "sobonana emathuneni" trend began with popular content creator, Sandisiwe Mathamo, who remixed the song from Lusanda Spiritual Group.
According to Bona Magazine, "This song amassed huge popularity as it is often used to project the daily life of taxi chronicles. Sandisiwe, popular on TikTok for recording gospel songs with his unique sound, recently shared a clip on his TikTok page with a caption: 'Why are you quiet? My mind: Emathuneni sobonana.'”
This sound attracted many users, prompting them to use it in scenarios that fit the lyrics of the song, which translate to: “We’ll see each other at the graveyard.”
South Africans have a
way of looking at the funny side of life, even if it's a bit dark at
times, so we can appreciate the lightheartedness behind the trend.
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Image courtesy of TikTok