The Shadower’s Shadower

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I would call them the "shadower's shadower" because they shadow for the shadower. I am talking about the self-appointed shadowers at various bus stops who have decided to autonomously subcontract one of the key functions of the trotro mate. 

So these guys usually stand after traffic lights at major bus stops and even before the bus gets there, they choose which troski to shadow for. Overtime, some of them have built relationships with some drivers and they become sole shadowers of certain trotros. Sometimes there are skirmishes as these self-appointed shadowers fight each other to secure a bus.

So what do they do and what do they need? The try to get passengers for trotros at bus stops and all they need is the voices to yell the various destinations. Woe betides you if after filling your trotro you decide to best them by driving off because you did not ask them to get you the passengers. They would jump and attach themselves to the trotro and in case they can’t do that, they would hit very hard at the trotro as if it can feel their pain.
The idea of contracting has become so popular that the job of the mate has been subcontracted too though not solicited.

For the passenger, they are mainly a nuisance because you definitely know where you are going and you know which car to take but once these guys see you approaching, they would practically fight over you to make sure that they get you into their self-assigned trotros. Sometimes, the mates do that too. It gets really annoying when they get their hands all over you trying to direct you to which trotro to take. Jeez! One can only imagine where those hands have been to.

I first encountered these shadowers at the 37 license office bus stop but these guys are literally at every bus stop now. Even the not so popular bus stops as well as the popular ones. I thought this was something that was going to fizzle out but they seem to be thriving. 

Shouting for between 30 and 50 gh cedis a day is not bad and that is just my estimate. It might be more. This ingenuity dierr someway.




Picture Credit: https://twitter.com/trotromate

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