Tales of The Carry-On Kid: Tanzania Travel Log Vol. 7 – The “Scrum”
In an effort to confuse you as much as possible (just kidding), this is part two of a sub series of my Tanzania Travel Log article dealing with my excursion to the spice island of Zanzibar, a much better destination than, say, the spice mines of Kessel. For those readers who missed last weeks article, I discussed preparing for my excursion to Zanzibar and the experience of arriving at the Dar Es Salaam port to catch the ferry out to the Island.
As the time for boarding the ferry drew near, I could see the restlessness building in the eyes of the rest of the people getting ready to board. There was an eclectic mixture of Africans, Europeans, Chinese and of course us, ready to start our journey. As the herd of travelers started to get ready to board the ferry we all moved towards the ticket booth choke point. This wasn’t my first rodeo so I was completely ready for what happened next, the “Scrum”!
Yes, I said scrum. No, this was not a rugby match but it got awfully close. If you are not a big rugby fan you might not be familiar with the scrum. The scrum is that mass of humanity you see at certain points during a rugby match. Players from both teams link arms, form a large amorphous shape and push against the other team to gain control of the ball. For those fans of American style Football, imagine a goal line stand and the pile of humanity that ensues. I double checked my gear, money and passport and headed in!
You should know that I have nothing but love and respect for Africans and their rich culture however… for some reason, rather it be genetic or cultural, most Africans seem to not know how to queue in line. Because of the inability to cue, the “Scrum” has become a staple of my African travels. When entering the scrum there are a few things the un-initiated must understand. First, double check your important gear like phone, wallet and anything else you value. No matter where you are, scoundrels and villains will use a crowded space to liberate your valuables. Do make it easy for them. Keep the most important stuff close by and make it as un-accessible as possible. This means don’t place your MP3 player in that outside mesh pocket on your backpack or you oversized wallet in your back pocket. As a minimum place those important things in a front pocket and place a hand in that pocket while in the scrum.
Second and most importantly, be bold, be fearless and forget any and all manners your parents taught you. I was raised to have manners, if we didn’t stand up when a woman came to the table, my brother and I were in trouble! That kind of thinking will get you nowhere when it comes to the scrum. I was also raised to let women go first and to yield to older people, again this will get you separated from your traveling companions and give those bad folks we discussed earlier even more time to try to acquire your hard earned MP3 player, passport or wallet.
Sitting on an airplane for twelve hours is not a good time to be a fat bald guy, the scrum however is a great time to be built like a lazy Rhino. I always use my size to it’s advantage when I enter the mosh pit like environment. If you have more than on “big guy” with you place them two abreast or one in front and one in back. Yes Operation Human Shield is in full effect. If in a narrow Scrum, I recommend the one in front and one in back method, it allows your front man to do some trailblazing while the person in the back helps maintain group integrity and dissuades less than savory folks from entering your conga line of progress!
If you are anticipating a scrum, remember these tips, check you gear and rearrange for maximum security. Establish a rally point on the other side of the scrum with your traveling mates. Make it far enough away from the scrum so that you don’t get re-absorbed into the scrum, but close enough to link back up. Be bold, be aggressive and put your manors on hold. Don’t throw elbows or punches, but be ready for them because not everyone is playing by the same rules. Never hesitate and always move forward. If you are traveling with larger folks, use their size to your advantage. Look at the nature of the scrum and determine your traveling formation. Finally once you clear the scrum and all people are accounted for double check your valuables.
I have given you some worst case scenarios, but the Army taught me that you train as you fight and you fight to win! For the scrum you train as you travel and you move forward and fast to clear the scrum. Stay tuned for “Kung Fu on the High Seas.”
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