Shadow Passengers: A Hustle Trend

By Oguine Daniel

Every season, there are trending hustle methods in our cities and states. These methods gain popularity, are perceived as effective, and then spread, being reused, shared, and imitated until they become trends in society.

Recently, I’ve observed two methods that I’ve coined as “shadow passengers” and “aggressive hustling.”

The “shadow passenger” hustle originated with bus drivers, conductors, and coordinators. Here’s how it works: they place a fake passenger in the front seat to attract real passengers. They understand that no one wants to be the only passenger in the vehicle (except in bus parks where there is a large inflow of people).

As soon as two or three actual passengers board, the fake passenger (or passengers) gets off. It’s a tried and tested method.

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On a Wednesday, after leaving a meeting in a familiar area, I noticed a new restaurant that had just opened. Two people I knew were dining there, along with a number of other customers.

My colleague and I were intrigued by the sight and decided to go in and grab something to eat.

While we were there, I kept wondering how this brand-new franchise could have such a high level of patronage. It wasn’t until I left the restaurant that I recalled something odd. Among all the customers, it was just my friend, myself, the two people we recognized, and maybe two others who actually purchased food.

True, there were people sitting and eating when we arrived, but I noticed that several didn’t order anything and eventually left quietly. Then it hit me: some of those customers were likely “shadow passengers.”

Even if, by chance, I’m mistaken or being a typical conspiracy theorist and what I observed was all in my head, you can’t deny that the “shadow passenger” hustle would be a great strategy for new franchises. It’s only a matter of time before businesses pick up on it, because the average Nigerian is drawn to a crowd.