.Unruly Nigerian Travelers at JFK Airport

U...Read the full article.

[MsWoman]

Hmmm Uncle Phil you try with this gist oh! Na so-so exaggeration from beginning to end, but it was a very nice and funny read all the same.

[Exxcuzme]

__________________________________________________ _____________________
At the stroke of 9 a.m., there was only hand full of us as most of the would-be Nigerian passengers were still in bed or milling around New York City in preparation for their trip when they should have been at the airport.
__________________________________________________ _____________________

At bed ke, if it were my wife and her friends, they are still busy shopping the morning of the flight after shopping the night before till the stores closed.

Dont mind MsWoman, I have never seen a Nigerian woman without excess luggage to and back from Nigeria. Imagine briging the traditional wooden Mortar and Pistle (I think that is what ODO is called in Oyinbo) for pounded yam from Nigeria or bringing the noisy commercial blender used in Nigeria to t he good old US and A when Oyinbo already developed a small portable and less noisy blenders?

With the countless family and friends that would want a piece of you in Naija, it is very difficult for, especially, women to resist from trying to buy the whole WalMart to Nigeria.

[I Love Nigeria]

I wish that a foreigner had written this article... I would have written a rejoinder! castigating the written as a basher of Nigerians.

So much violence to language and generalizations about ALL Nigerians Dr. Phil apparently is shy of the use of the word SOME?

MsWoman expressed some of what I felt..when she wrote :Na so-so exaggeration from beginning to end Writer's license?

Arriving at the check-in counter, I saw a white gentleman waiting patiently for the check-in time.
Says Dr. Phil...(ILN asks...gentleman waiting patiently abi)?
At the stroke of 9 a.m., there was only hand full of us as most of the would-be Nigerian passengers were still in bed or milling around New York City in preparation for their trip when they should have been at the airport


After a spiteful head to toe visual inspection characteristic of a true Nigerian woman?Says Dr. Phil....(ILN asks.....characteristic of Nigerian women???

What could he be doing with that many suitcases? Not surprising, the line was dis-organized as Nigerians tried to out-muscle one another. It looked like a complete war-zone replete with gory chaotic Lagos scenes that added aplenty to the already mounting stress of traveling.

By now they were garnering attention and for fear of security agents swooping in on them for unruly behavior, a charge that might lead to the discovery of other illegality such as lack of proper legal papers, etc, decorum reigned even tenuously with both warring parties encasing their swords. But at the counter, decorum had been set aside as I heard another set of Nigerians arguing very loudly with the counter attendants; had they used as bullhorn they would not be any louder. It appeared that every point was contested, every suggestion rebuffed and every refusal by the airline staff cast in racist light. ILN....asks Dr. Phil...HABA!????


Even the obvious was debated and argued to no shameful end as the Nigerian passengers basked in an uugly spat of babarism. ILN asks Dr. Phil, say WHAT???

In one of the suitcases, I saw what was tantamount to Wal-Mart - toaster, mouthwash, hotplates, stereo, radios, speakers, cloths, dry fish (from US to Nigeria? For what?), laundry soap, picture frames, cordless phones, etc. All these were in one suitcase leaving one to wonder what could be in the others – his house and car? Says Dr. Phil and ILN asks... Have heard of poverty before? These Nigerians travel once a year and they have to bear gift for their poor folks at home... who but of course expect them to bear these gifts.... it is poverty stupid?

This was very disgraceful as the airline staff shook their heads in amazement, almost in disgust of the uncultivated behavior of Nigerians . But perhaps, even more perturbing was the fact that the Nigerians passengers expected to be checked-in as though they had arrived on time. They saw nothing wrong with arriving at 1:30 p.m., the original departure time for the flight.

On a closer inspection of the line, I saw a young white couple with very little luggage, only two small bags. Yet again, my curiosity got the best of me and I approached them. I asked how long they intended to stay in Nigeria? They indicated that the lady's parents were Baptist missionaries in Owerri and they were going on a visit for about a month and half traveling through Nigeria and West Africa . It is noteworthy that most Nigerians going home do not spend a month and half. The average time is about three weeks, still, all of those in line had well over the luggage limit towering all over the place as if they expected America to not to be there upon their return. Says Dr. Phil, and ILN asks... Have heard of poverty before? These Nigerians travel once a year and they have to bear gift for their poor folks at home... who but of course expect them to bear these gifts.... it is poverty stupid? These Baptist couple may be frequent travelers and they do not have to bear gifts .... or how many poor relatives do these Oyinbo priests have in Nigeria/Africa?





“Which flight”, asked the attendant whose face bore elements of surprise. But how could she be surprised, she must have been used to this sort of tardiness by Nigerians





Is this a microscopic evidence of the larger problem of greed and avarice that have ravished our nation and earned it the most corrupt country in the world year after year? Why do Nigerians feel the need to travel with the world in their suitcases? I was told of a young Nigerian gentleman of great scholarly reputation who traveled to the US from Nigeria with only one small suitcase. Rather than heaping praises on him for traveling light, a feat rarely seen amongst Nigerians, the US Immigration and Custom Services interrogated him suspecting a foul motive for his trip. All this was based on his arrival with a small single suitcase for a three-week working visit. Satisfied that he was a visitor with noble intentions with no criminal past, they joked with him that if more Nigerians traveled the way he did, their jobs would be made easier.



Please, I must fly today, “pleaded the desperate Nigerian whose lateness bore ample evidence of the loathsome burden of a nation. The attendant looked at her watch as if to say, ‘why didn’t you arrive on time.’



“I am sorry, but we have to check you in on the next flight, assuming we have seats for you and the small passengers,” the attendant said politely but with a measure of finality that sealed the fate of the late comer.



Finding none among the other passengers, she fell on her knees in the true Nigerian fashion and continued pleading to the bemusement of all.



All of the passengers had either left or were leaving for the boarding gate but for this tardy Nigerian kneeing on the floor in her Sunday's best. If only Nigerians can learn to be on time

Dr. Phil is a Nigerian... he is ALWAYS on time;

I was told of a young Nigerian gentleman of great scholarly reputation who traveled to the US from Nigeria with only one small suitcase

; and ILN is a Nigeria, he is ALWAYS on time... there are SOME Nigerians who are never on time.... So, Nigerians should learn to be on time.... OK, I got that point... But UNRULY Nigerian Travelers? (SOME)?

[oloyede]

__________________________________________________ ________________________
I Love Nigeria

I wish that a foreigner had written this article... I would have written a rejoinder!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wish that a foreigner had written this article... I would have written a rejoinder! castigating the written as a basher of Nigerians.

MsWoman expressed some of what I felt..when she wrote :Na so-so exaggeration from beginning to end
__________________________________________________ ________________________
I agreed with the writer. Remember he didn't said all Nigerian. I don't see anything he said that is unlike Nigerian. If it's true, It's true; Regardless of who said it.
Some of us has been here for years but they are still fufu in morning, fufu in the afternoon and fufu in the evening. Never change.
Did any one ever ask him/herself why the European airlines treating us the way they
do, with all the money they are making of us. It's PRESENTATION - the way we present our self. Imagine their annual profit via Lagos - Europe route. They do not show appreciation in any form. They do not compensate us in any way either thru good service or good/better ticket sales.
I have a guy that works with me, he is from China; Recently we were talking about flight
Ticket and I told him the cheapest to Nigeria is $1,200.00 during low season. I was shocked when he went to his office and brought a used ticket From Dallas to China to & fro For $650.00. About the same distance or even more. I told him, you will never get Nigeria flight ticket that cheap be it slow or craw season.
One thing is certain, some of us need to change. The way we present ourself is very important. Being in the store, airport, church, mosque, work, school or anywhere.

E. Oloyede

[I Love Nigeria]

According to E. Oloyede Foreign Airlines over-charge Nigerian passengers and mistreat them.... not because they lack competition.... particularly, competition from a strong Nigerian Airline....

NO! The charge us extra for our unruly behaviors?

They charge extra because some of us eat fufu four times a day? (E. Oloyede should eat his rattle snake and chili in Texas) But leave the rest of us to eat our Amala, fufu, isi-ewu, pounded-yam several times daily .... while being health-conscious as well.... E. Oloyede you never hear say too many artificial preservatives dey inside Oyinbo food? make you careful O!

[el_pharoah]

I had to go to Gatwick on back to back days last December to drop off my cousins going to nija. On both occasions there was a Nigerian person, albeit a different one each time, arguing loudly and aggressively, shouting at the top of their voices with the counter staff at Virgin Nigeria over overweight bags. Airport security was called each time. It made me wonder if it happened every time Nigerians travel.

[akuluouno]

Dear Phil,

Many thanks for your article which if only written words would change attitudes in Nigeria would have done so but infortunately we also need crude force to change us. I was not surprised that it is only our women who protested your article because they are the guilty ones by far in this infamy. Even among the highest elites in Nigeria the same attitude obtains. When Minister Fani-Kayode said that he would protest the uncivli treamtent of Nigerian travellers by foreign airlines, I laughed all the way and wished him well in his neonationalist tendencies, afterall he is a chip off Fanipower.
Let us, especially the elites and the women in particular learn to be a bit serious and learn to display the victorian sentiment of noblesse oblige and decorum at internationally recognised spaces such as airports etc.
I know that you were very conservative in your write up, if not I would have liked to bore you with the story of the Nigerian who overfed with amala and guiness b4 boarding an international flight as well as the reasons why we shall never have a Nigeria Airways.

[bababoyz]

Dr Phil is 99.9% correct with this writeup. Below in bold is my response to an aggrieved passenger on a listserve who wrote to complain about the treatment he experienced in Nigeria. Many Nigerians irrespective of our societal status or academic laurels do not like to follow simple instructions.



I am sorry about your missed baggage, and I hope you eventually
receive it. However, I disagree with the idea of blaming the
unruliness of the passengers on the inability of the NAA officials
to control a simple commonsense exercise of forming a queue. I have
witnessed Nigerians in Paris, @ Heathrow and many other
international airports running to board plane just like stranded
passengers in Oshodi who are running to board the popularly known
Osa straight bus.

I flew on a schedule flight of NAA (flight NAA131) from NY ON Dec
14th 2006 to Lagos and returned through flight NAA132 on Jan 04,
2007 to NY, and everything was fine with both legs of my flight. The
only annoying part of the flight is the inability of many of us to
follow and adhere to simple instructions.

It is very understandable that you might not like the allusion of
the NAA officials as regards the attitude of Nigerians, but to be
candid am not too sure if the NAA officials are not correct when
they say Nigerians are unruly and unmanageable. If there is anything
about my flight that I need complain about, it is about the
primitiveness of many of us who after spending donkey years in a
civilized environment still cannot imbibe simple orderliness in a
public place.

Please do not misconstrue my mail as an effort to justify the
lackadaisical attitude of the airline officials or totally exclude
them from their responsibilities, but many a time I have wondered if
we are not the ones who presented those people the opportunity to
mistreat us.



================================================== ========


Mr. Jeff Wehrenberg
> The Chief Operating Officer
> North American Airlines
> Building 75, Suite 250, North Hangar Road
> JFK International Airport
> Jamaica NY 11430
>
> Dear Sir,
>
> A VERY BAD FLYING EXPERIENCE – NORTH AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT
132 FROM LAGOS TO NEW YORK JAN 6, 2007
>
> On Nov 23, 2006 I bought a round-trip ticket on North American
Airlines (NAA) from New York to Lagos for $2,778. In spite of the
European route being cheaper I preferred to try your direct flight
to Lagos rather than experience the delay involved in flying through
Europe. This turned out to be a bad experience – probably the worst
in my 17 years of international flying experience.
>
> The following was my experience.
>
> Check-in
>
> As instructed by that check-in for the 1:30 am flight would
start 5- hours before the departure, I arrived the Lagos airport at
8 pm to get an early check-in. On arrival I met two low-level
personnel of NAA administering a queue – no high ranking officer was
present. The personnel instructed me to join the queue and I obeyed,
becoming number 12 on the queue. Due to space limitation the queue
was forced to loop back with me being at the turning point. As more
passengers arrived on the queue the structure started breaking down –
at this point NAA agents made no effort to organize the queue.
>
> At 10 pm, after standing on the queue for two hours, some other
NAA officials arrived and started some efforts to commence check-in.
About 10:30 pm one of the two low-level personnel came back to
announce that the check-in counter had changed and that the people
on the queue should follow him. He made no effort to ensure the
integrity on positions on the queue, he just made the announcement
and turned back towards the new check-in counter. As can be imagined
a stampede started with the last passengers on the queue gaining the
lead positions (since the queue had looped back). I and most of us
that arrived first ended up towards the end of the new queue /
queues. From this point on chaos ensued with passengers joining the
queue in front and being attended to. The queue I was on was
supposed to be the official queue but it ended up not moving for a
very long time. Throughout this chaos there was no visible leader
from NAA to take charge and put things under control. The only
> attempt I witnessed was when two NAA personnel – one Nigerian and
a Caucasian – approached the airport security standing close to me
to ask for assistance to deploy some policemen to control the crowd.
In response, the airport security personnel wondered why it had
become an everyday experience that NAA was the only airline at the
airport that could not control its passengers and had become
notorious at the airport. The security personnel subsequently
refused to intervene.
>
> At a stage, out of my frustration, I approached some NAA
officials to express my disappointment and frustration about their
inability to manage what looks to me like a very simple operation.
The response I got was that Nigerians were unruly and unmanageable.
The response I gave them was that this was a lame excuse and that
the fault was NAA's. NAA has the responsibility to provide good
service to its fee-paying customers from check-in to luggage claim.
>
> I finally checked in at 1:30 am, after standing up for 5 hours
30 minutes and missing my dinner. The plane finally took-off at
about 4:30 am after – a three-hour delay.
>
> Missing luggage in New York
>
> We arrived JFK airport New York at 10 am. In an effort not to
miss my connecting flight at 12:20 pm, on disembarking the plane, I
raced to be the first person at immigration. After immigration I
proceeded to await my luggage. After waiting till the very end and
not seeing any of my two boxes, I approach an NAA official who
produced a list containing my name. She informed me that my luggage
did not leave Lagos and that I should go to the NAA counter after
customs to fill a missing luggage report. This was now about 11:15
am and I was at the risk on missing my connecting flight. I had to
go to the front of the queue and beg other passengers to allow me to
go ahead of them in order not to miss my flight.
>
> I completed the "Property Irregularity Report" as instructed and
was told that my luggage would arrive JFK on Monday and would be
sent to me "after some time". No guarantee of delivery here. When I
asked the agent exactly when I would get my luggage he replied that
I could come and collect it at JFK if I wanted it quickly – he did
not read my completed form to see that I live in Durham, North Carolina !
>
> So here I am back at home in Durham with my luggage still in
Lagos. I wonder if NAA would compensate me for any lost item in my
luggage or even for the delay. I wonder when my luggage would
eventually be delivered to my apartment in Durham. I am waiting and
counting the days……
>
> Conclusion
>
> During my visit home I read the comment of the Minister of
Aviation – Chief Fani-Kayode in the newspapers complaining about the
poor treatment some airlines were meting out on Nigerians. He
specifically mentioned Virgin Atlantic and British Airways which in
my opinion are not even close to NAA on the "bad treatment" ranking.
He should add NAA to his list, which is why I am copying this letter
to him.
>
> As a Nigerian I feel insulted and take serious exception to the
comment by the NAA officials in Lagos that Nigerians are unruly and
uncontrollable. How come it was only NAA out of over 20 airlines
operating that night that had an unmanaged queue? Were the other
airlines not serving Nigerians? NAA was just plainly incompetent!
>
> I would not like to finish this piece without proffering a
solution. The following is one of the possible solutions to NAA's
crowd control problem in Lagos.
>
> 1. Appoint an experienced and competent station
manager in Lagos and give him/her overall responsibility and
accountability for the operations.
> 2. Design a check-in queue management system.
> - You could make 500 plastic, sequentially numbered
tallies with NAA Lagos printed on them.
> - On your online booking confirmation and tickets state
clearly that check in at Lagos would be based strictly on a tally
system and explain how it works.
> - State clearly when the check-in/tally distribution
queue would commence e.g. 8 pm. As soon as people arrive on the
queue give them a tally for the order in which they arrived.
> - Let the station manager announce to passengers before
and during the check in that the tally order would be strictly
followed.
>
> As I await the arrival of my luggage I hope you will find my
feedback useful to improve your services to your customers on this
cash cow route.
>

[EezeeBee]

Originally Posted by akuluouno

Dear Phil,

Many thanks for your article which if only written words would change attitudes in Nigeria would have done so but infortunately we also need crude force to change us. I was not surprised that it is only our women who protested your article because they are the guilty ones by far in this infamy. Even among the highest elites in Nigeria the same attitude obtains. When Minister Fani-Kayode said that he would protest the uncivli treamtent of Nigerian travellers by foreign airlines, I laughed all the way and wished him well in his neonationalist tendencies, afterall he is a chip off Fanipower.
Let us, especially the elites and the women in particular learn to be a bit serious and learn to display the victorian sentiment of noblesse oblige and decorum at internationally recognised spaces such as airports etc.
I know that you were very conservative in your write up, if not I would have liked to bore you with the story of the Nigerian who overfed with amala and guiness b4 boarding an international flight as well as the reasons why we shall never have a Nigeria Airways.

Akuluouno,

with your words that I have highlighted above you have displayed the precise problem with Nigeria/Nigerians: There is this belief that sentiments of noblesse oblige and decorum belong to someone else. The Victorians, The British, The West et. al.

Are you telling me or suggesting that such sentiments are/were absent from your forefathers/mothers? Or have you so internalized the concepts put out by so many of the books/media we consume that as Nigerians/Africans we neither now nor previously had any positive attributes/behaviors to display?

I enjoyed the article very much and see it as a humorous take on travel centered around the behavior of a very small minority of Nigerians. Why? Phil spoke about the behavior of perhaps between 6-10 different people at the counter. Since we know that a typical long distance flight like that contains easily in excess of 180-240 persons, it is safe to say that the MAJORITY of Nigerians on that flight acted with NIGERIAN decorum.

One should enjoy the article for it's humor, take lessons away from it, adjust one's own behavior accordingly if required and refrain from painting people with wide brush strokes.

Peace!

[akuluouno]

Dear Eezeebee,

Having read Bababoyz intervention which copiously highlighted the kalakuta-like situation at NAA check in-counter at MMIA and the remedial measures he or she proferred and also read Phil's poignant observations at JFK which are not novel for any frequent international traveller, it is my belief that it is only a behaviour rooted in a higher benchmark that would solve such problems. That was why the security man said that they cannot help out Bababoyz because that state of affairs has been recurring just like okada motorcyclists who ususally get hit and thrown sky-high along their motorbikes at the several expressway intersections allover Abuja by speeding vehicles from the other side as they attempt to make a speedy dash without bordering to look out, traffic lights or not.
That was why I suggested enlightened self-interest or even the Victorian version of noblesse oblige because I doubt if the Nigerian version which is the status quo will save us from the quagmire we are talking about. I believe that the Nigerian factor is the Nigerian noblesse oblige and it has not worked especially when Nigerins interface with the global order of conduct.
We want boarding of aircrafts in Nigeria or by Nigerians to be as orderly as say in Ghana, Cameroun or Switzerland. Why it is not so is what I believe Phil has outlined for us and that Victorian sentiment might be a remedial measure.

[Chocolat]

Well written article with just about enough humor and lessons in it.

I'm sure the author isn't trying to berate Nigerians in general, but at the same time, have we observed flights leaving JFK or EWR or any other aiport, en route to India or Ghana or Sierra Leone or even Asia???? I'm sure if we paid attention to these other groups of people we will find out that we all have something in common - our excess luggages and some unruly passengers (Which we might not notice since we may not understand their language).
Again people's behaviour in public or away from their surroundings has nothing to do with the number of times FUFU is eaten in a day. Niajas might not know how to act in public but so does a whole other group of ppl even the ones whose country we dey sef!! It's just life, we can't all be proper, there has to be some 'un-ruly' human beings to balance out the equation.

U gotta love these drama-filled people that argue at aiports/fight desperately to get on a plane they clearly missed (Shoo i did that once but on a domestic flight, omo shed tears for the attendant and they bumped me up! It works o!) they create entertainment while waiting for flights. I don't care if you say they r disgracing me cos they sure ain't disgracing me/Nigeria, they might disgrace themselves but not me.

[Odinaka]

[B]So you are traveling to Nigeria with that cheap lace sworn by a road-side tailor?”



“You have no shame," the other woman returned without sparing a moment, "at least, I have lace, the one on your waist looks like Okrika”, a reference to second-hand clothing called “Okrika Wakeup” in eras gone. I prayed that no one was from Okrika (Rivers) amongst the Nigerian travelers as that would have meant an additional foray for insulting a whole group of people without provocation. Infuriated, the other lady sliced back at her tormentor with caliberated precision.



“Look at this small rat insulting me,” she said with much despise. “If we were in Nigeria she would not be fit to be my house girl. Somebody bought a ticket for her to come to America and she can now insult me.”



The other lady undettered, returned the salvo, “So you are now Madam America to decide who should come to America ? A witch like you will have a house girl? Which parent will allow her daughter to come to your house? I beg comot for road jaw…”



“You called me a witch in front of these people? (She said it in a manner that suggested she would have been satisfied if she had been called a witch in private). Wait until we get to Nigeria and we shall know who is a witch,” retorted the other angrily with a hiss louder than the sounds of a passing plane.



By now they were garnering attention and for fear of security agents swooping in on them for unruly behavior, a charge that might lead to the discovery of other illegalities such as lack of proper legal papers, etc, decorum reigned even tenuously as both warring parties encased their swords with a seemingly unspoken agreement to rekindle their hostilities once in Nigeria which will be a perfect theater for such recklessness. But at the counter, decorum had been set aside as I heard another set of Nigerians arguing very loudly with the counter attendants; had they used a bullhorn they would not be any louder. It appeared that every point was contested, every suggestion rebuffed and every refusal by the airline staff cast in racist light.

If the above is true, which I believe is the case, then the characters therein behaved true to the saying that, "no matter the type of soap and perfume used on the he-goat, his peculiar smell will always cling to him" A man who is coming out from his remote village can behave this way and be excussed, but why can't folks who are "better exposed and enlightened" learn? Too bad

[EezeeBee]

Originally Posted by akuluouno

Dear Eezeebee,

Having read Bababoyz intervention which copiously highlighted the kalakuta-like situation at NAA check in-counter at MMIA and the remedial measures he or she proferred and also read Phil's poignant observations at JFK which are not novel for any frequent international traveller, it is my belief that it is only a behaviour rooted in a higher benchmark that would solve such problems. That was why the security man said that they cannot help out Bababoyz because that state of affairs has been recurring just like okada motorcyclists who ususally get hit and thrown sky-high along their motorbikes at the several expressway intersections allover Abuja by speeding vehicles from the other side as they attempt to make a speedy dash without bordering to look out, traffic lights or not.
That was why I suggested enlightened self-interest or even the Victorian version of noblesse oblige because I doubt if the Nigerian version which is the status quo will save us from the quagmire we are talking about. I believe that the Nigerian factor is the Nigerian noblesse oblige and it has not worked especially when Nigerins interface with the global order of conduct.
We want boarding of aircrafts in Nigeria or by Nigerians to be as orderly as say in Ghana, Cameroun or Switzerland. Why it is not so is what I believe Phil has outlined for us and that Victorian sentiment might be a remedial measure.

Dearest Akuluouno,

What's really with the 'higher' benchmark type of talk? Don't you recognize it yourself? Why should/would you as a Nigerian, possibly bringing up Nigerian children, inspire them to be all that they can be if the 'measure' of quality is rooted in and defined by someone 'other'?

You state that the Nigerian version is the status quo. I disagree. The Nigerian behavior which is the topic of the article is NOT noblesse oblige. It is BAD BEHAVIOR by Nigerians. Nigerians TOO are capable of noblesse oblige. The challenge before us is to state and expect higher standards from Nigerians based on OUR expectations that Nigerians CAN alter/adjust their behavior for the better.

As long as you 'define' good, 'better' or 'higher' by someone else, you remain a wannabe, a copy cat; never an originator or innovator. I doubt that you feel in any way inferior to anyone else. Surely your choice of words etc should reflect that, abi wetin you think?

[bababoyz]

Originally Posted by akuluouno

Having read Bababoyz intervention which copiously highlighted the kalakuta-like situation at NAA check in-counter at MMIA and the remedial measures he or she proferred and also read Phil's poignant observations at JFK which are not novel for any frequent international traveller, it is my belief that it is only a behaviour rooted in a higher benchmark that would solve such problems. That was why the security man said that they cannot help out Bababoyz because that state of affairs has been recurring just like okada motorcyclists who ususally get hit and thrown sky-high along their motorbikes at the several expressway intersections allover Abuja by speeding vehicles from the other side as they attempt to make a speedy dash without bordering to look out, traffic lights or not.
That was why I suggested enlightened self-interest or even the Victorian version of noblesse oblige because I doubt if the Nigerian version which is the status quo will save us from the quagmire we are talking about. I believe that the Nigerian factor is the Nigerian noblesse oblige and it has not worked especially when Nigerins interface with the global order of conduct.
We want boarding of aircrafts in Nigeria or by Nigerians to be as orderly as say in Ghana, Cameroun or Switzerland. Why it is not so is what I believe Phil has outlined for us and that Victorian sentiment might be a remedial measure.

I was not the aggrieved passenger nor the one that seek for MMA officials intervention in Nigeria, rather I responded to the letter sent to NAA by the said passenger, so I did not proffered the solution you are referring to. Please go back and read my initial submission on this topic.

[M. Akosa]

A very interesting article, I am sure not intended to offend or derogate Nigerians, but to open all our eyes to very shameful behaviours of some disgraceful people.

Behaviours like those is not at all helpful at a time when all airlines (FOREIGN & WESTERN) flying Nigerian routes are now short of spraying pesticides inside the aircraft as soon as Nigerians come on board.
At a time when Nigerians are singled out for very disrespectful search, immigration paper checks, and all sorts.

It will only be helpful if Nigerian travellers learn or get educated on how to behave while travelling. Just like there is a new buzz now on "FLYING WHILE MUSLIM"

[planet1899]

This is nothing but the truth from Dr. Phil....Nigerians need to learn how to be on time and how to travel light...what is this nonesense about traveling with a thousand suitcases capable of sinking the plane upon take off? Are we the only ones who have been away from home that we must buy gifts for everyone in the village? When will Nigerians get with the program?

____________________
All those Nigerians who plan on traveling to Planet 1899 must travel with just two suitcases or risk deportation. Thanks.

[planet1899]

MsWoman must not be a Nigerian not to know that Dr. Phil cpatured it as it is...Nigerians have done worst things at airports...this is very mild in comparison. MsWoman must be in a fantasy world of Nigerians.

[akuluouno]

Thou shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. Bababoyz, I am very sorry for mistaking you for the aggrieved person in your contribution. Eezeebee, kindly proffer a solution out of this quagmire we witness daily at airports whenever two or three Nigerians are gathered together to travel. It is that display that makes the world to tar all of us with the same brush and not the acquisition of the victorian sense of noblesse oblige.
Shall we continue to exhibit our Nigerian version of noblesse oblige with all its negative xtics which some of us want to play ostrich over. In truth Nigeria does not have such sentiments.
I have earlier decided to eschew boring villagers with the story of the Nigerian traveller who boarded an aircraft after taking and overdose of amala and guiness stout or narrate why we can never have a Nigeian Airways forever.
Puntuality at airports and travelling with the amount of luggage we can conviniently pay for without raisng our voices unecessarily at the airport is one component of noblesse oblige. Do many Nigerian travellers have it. Tell me. On a national level, this sentiment can be incorporated into a bigger body of ideas that would enable the governance of men in the Nigerian space to be as easy as abc so that we do not have to suffer the pains of fleeing our fatherland in search of what we already have in abundance at home but just beacuse the nation lacks this important corpus of ideas to make it come to pass.
A notorious thief in my village was once caught red handed with somebody,s fowl. The villagers dragged him to the police station and waited to witness the public disgrace of the man. The thief called out to the policeman and pleaded with him to look into the bag where he kept the stolen fowl with the eyes of an elder and see if there is any chicken in there.
Your guess of the policeman's verdict is as good as mine and is also the same manner we have set out to analyse the way we display our pax Nigeriana at the various international airports.
Join me to sing this song of patriotism: "Rule Nigeria, Nigeria rules the waves, Nigerians never never shall be slaves." Second Bass please.

[ErikP]

Let's be fair. It is not just Nigerians who misbehave at airports. It is something about the transience and anonymity of these places which makes people throw off restraint.

The funniest luggage story I have is of a Ghanaian lady at Amsterdam, Schipol. In those days the KLM plane to Kano went on to Accra.

The generously proportioned lady was having a hurricane force argument with a Dutchman about her "hand-luggage" which was a small refrigerator. It was wrapped in swathes of brown parcel tape to stop all the gadgets and goods with which it was stuffed falling out.

She was stood widelegged and puffing with the weight of the 'fridge in her arms. She said,
"What do you mean it is not hand luggage? See it is in my hands!"

The absolute worst behaviour I have seen was also at Schipol from an elderly European academic who has spent some years in Nigeria. I will not go into details but - thinking he was British like me and being embarrassed by his rudeness - I told him to stop bullying the staff and stop being a "selfish old fart". By one of those coincidences which God arranges to humble us I found myself a teatime guest in his home a month later! We both coped with our embarrassment by pretending to have no memories of the incident .