Melville Cooke Oh why, can't we roam, this open country
Oh why can't we be what we want to be
We want to be free
Three o'clock, roadblock
Rebel Music, Bob Marley and the Wailers
THERE IS a reason why the taxi operators protested so vehemently when the new traffic fines were introduced recently. True, many drive terribly and should not be allowed near a steering wheel, but there is another side to the matter.
There are police chaps who live on them like ticks, who seem determined to collect at least the equivalent of their monthly salaries 'outa road'.
I had a taste of what the taxi operators feel on a daily basis two Wednesdays ago in Moneague, St. Ann. I was given a 'bogus' ticket by two police chaps from the Annotto Bay Police Station (from far away in St. Mary), for which I am supposed to deposit $5,000 in the Government's coffers.
What is more, when I put up verbal resistance to the matter one policeman demanded a search (which I did not resist; Tom no fraid, but Tom no fool) and, upon finding nothing incriminating, proceeded to search the vehicle, saying twice: "Ah lock ah waan lock yu up todeh."
None of them pointed the speed device at me. Furthermore, when I repeatedly asked the policeman who stopped me when he pointed the 'gun' at me he did not reply.
In any case, the policeman who stopped me (smiling) told me that I could use that as my defence in court. I will be sending in a very detailed report on the matter to the relevant authorities. Not that I expect anything to come out of it; traffic ticketing is a big racket in Jamaica, both inside and outside the courthouse.
Policemen collect on the road, the Government collects inside the courthouse. Of course, it is not all policemen who are running private business with Government's clothes, guns, traffic books, cars and gas, but it is enough to cause suspicion to fall on all.
Just like payola in entertainment journalism, I guess.
When Omar Davies projected an increase of $17 million in revenue from traffic fines, I have no doubt that he figured in the intake of police officers on the streets as well. He is, I believe, a very realistic man.
Since the increase in traffic fines, New Kingston has been literally swimming with policemen in the nights. In addition, my treks between MoBay and Kingston have been the equivalent of running a police gauntlet, so I know I am not speaking in a vacuum here.
I was stopped in New Kingston late last year. By a drunk policeman. In fact, one could say he was 'red, red, red'. I was in breach of the law, as only one headlight was working on the vehicle. But he was not interested in ticketing me.
He told me that "is white rum me drink".
"Damn, that is poison," I replied.
"A long time me a drink it," he said, lurching and grinning. "Goddamn, dats why yu mus' stop now before it kill yu sudden," I replied gently. Even the younger cop who was with him looked embarrassed for his older, much thinner colleague.
He let me go without a ticket - heck, he may not even have had any with him. And I have been let off with a warning on at least two occasions.
Another problem I have is that quite a few of the 30 mph zones, including the one where I was framed with that ticket near the JDF camp outside Moneague, are not marked. Heck, who is to say that many of them are 30 mph zones in the first place?
There does seem to be a problem with the traffic police from the Annotto Bay Police Station. The very first traffic ticket I received was issued by an officer from that station, outside the entrance to the Schwallenburgh mines near Faith's Pen in St. Ann. That is nearly in St. Catherine, for crying out loud.
I was wrong; I overtook on the unbroken white line. When the policeman stopped me, he asked (grinning): "Waapen, yu neva see me?" I smiled back. "No. If me did see yu, me an yu woulden a chat now."
They fudged around the matter and eventually the one writing up the tickets said, "Talk to me nuh." I was tempted to say "Waapen, baby", but thought the better of it and said I couldn't, took my ticket and left.
Then, as in two Wednesdays ago, I had more than enough money with me to "speak" clearly and effectively, but that is not how my voice will be heard.
But what are the traffic police from St. Mary always doing on the main road in the Moneague to Mt. Diablo area? Is there not enough work between say Oracabessa and Highgate? Or is it the hustling?
Yu 'ave, good cop, bad cop, nuff a boost crime an nuff want i' stop - Anthony B
Melville Cooke is a freelance writer.
