Motos in Ghana

George tells me that Ghanians are ashamed of moto(rbikes) or god forbid, bicycles, because they are symbols of poverty. "I wanted to get a moto, because traveling from home to office specially in the evenings would be so much easier. My sister and my friends were very much against the idea. My sister told me I should save money for a car instead," he tells me. Five years later, he still takes the evening TroTro(microbus) home.

The absence of motorbikes and bicycles is striking and specially ironic, considering Accra has a bikepath along the ringroad, and has bicycle path in general. The heat is not an explanation -- places with warmer climate have different attitudes. Besides, as George told me and I have observed, people would rather walk for half-hour in the sizzling Sun than ride a bike for ten minutes. Also important is the fact that both motorbikes and bicycles are rather cheap here relative to everything else.

I ask if the expats of US and UK colleges ride bikes... Bike-riding is an elite thing in some places. He laughs at at the suggestion and tells me getting a big SUV is their top priority after they return back.

Question for discussion: what factor(s) can explain the difference in cultural attitude towards bikes and motorbikes in South Asia/China and West Africa(Ghana, not sure about Nigeria)? One could argue that the price difference between cars and bikes is so high in Nepal, people would rather get a bike than wait for many years for a car. That still does not explain India, though. Could it be related to religion? Maybe differences in attitudes of young people?

Last point of observation: on weekend evenings, sportsbikes can be seen around the campus, being ridden at speeds that would make any sensible human fear dearly for her life.