PoliceANIMAL and the PoliceMAN In the early 2000s, one of my uncles visited the green white green country during the festive period and the onus fell on me to drive him around. Few days before Christmas, we went to both the big auditorium in Otta and the camp at Km 48, and we were on our way to another place when right under the bridge on Awolowo road that we were caught up in a brief traffic. A motorcyclist carrying a passenger roughly squeezed his bike between the Benz I was driving and a White Altima right in front of me. I did not even move, I only hit my horn out loud to check the recklessness of the Okada man. In 3 good seconds, two policemen in their stinking and sweaty black uniform swooped on me. How they opened my door so fast I cannot say! One got to my passengers window pointing his gun at me while the other used his gun to lock my steering whilst asking my uncle who was seated at the back to move so he could sit with him. I must have heard a million orders! Go, move, drive, park, shut up, I will shoot......okay, where do you want me to go? I screamed with the smell of the rusty nuzzle of the gun closest to me almost making me puke. My face, head, neck and back of my head was filled with stinking saliva that sprayed from their mouths. Anyway, we got to the police station just close to the court by the railway line where all four tyres were deflated with their gun nuzzles. 13 offences were committed in 2 seconds of blaring my horn when I did not even move an inch, and 26,000# was our penalty. We lost valuable hours before we were able to pay what they finally negotiated with us. I cursed them bitterly on that day. I was very recently stopped by civilised officers here for a mistake I made. He came to my door, got my window down. Good morning sir he said. Me??? Sir??? An officer wishing me a good morning??? I relaxed. Where are you heading to? He asked me. And I told him. Do you know why you were flagged down? I feigned ignorance. He told me. I apologised. I gently told him where I was coming from, how many traffic I have ran into, how many traffic hot spots I have left to run into, and that I doubt if I will get to work on time for the inspection taking place. Can I see your Licence sir? He asked, but my hands were too shaky to find it. Dont worry, he said, as he walked back to his car. After 3-5 mins, he came back and downloaded all the information they have on their database about me and which I confirmed. I was not surprised at all. He gently reminded me to always observe my shoulder to shoulder driving rule! I said alright sir. He asked me if I was going to so, so and so place. I was surprised! They even know where I work! Yes I said. I was super surprised when he told me another route to follow and which street to join from while asking me to ignore my sat-nav. Have a good day he said as he waved me away. I had a good day indeed as I gained more than 15-20 mins of travelling time and also got to work 5 mins before time. No harassment, no bullying, no gun at sight, was treated like a fellow human and even told where to go to beat traffic. I have been gaining almost 30mins of journey time ever since that day as I know where to go unlike before when I was always late and I have to leave home earlier than usual in order to beat the traffic. Now, with the strongest and bitterest bile in me, whenever I read any updates from the land separated into three by two rivers, I feel like renewing the curse on those thieves, especially on the system that allowed them to thrive to the detriment of the masses! Only animals take advantage of themselves, even some species of animals have a controlled social decorum in their packs. Only an animal in police uniform would violate and take advantage of his fellow human being he was meant to to protect. Even, if you break the law here, the police here will still try their best to accord you your human right. So tell me, who would you prefer to watch after you? And who would you prefer to identify with? As for me, I will go with the Policeman.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 08:50:04 +0000
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