THE EDITOR, Sir:
I WISH to add my voice of outrage at the harassment I have faced in my morning commute along Spanish Town Road in the vicinity of Three Miles. A young windscreen wiper began to target me every morning on seeing that I was always alone in my vehicle. "No," I would say while waving my hand, but he would still proceed to clean the windscreen and ask for money. This continued until he began to threaten me, stand in front of my vehicle and hurl expletives with his bleached face, carved eyebrows and earrings.
I became very frustrated, angry and frightened with each incident as I wondered what I would be in for each morning. Since he ignored my negative responses, I began to ignore him and that prompted him one morning to use the handle of his wiper to dent one of my rear doors.
I reported the matter to the Hunts Bay police and a polite and sympathetic constable took my statement, but reiterated what a senior female officer there said: the police could do nothing unless I pointed out the boy to them so they could arrest him. I would also have to accompany them to the station to identify him again for charges to be filed.
While outraged at the disrespect, harassment and property damage I had suffered and wanting him to be punished, I didn't think it was worth further jeopardising my personal safety if my path ever crossed his or that of his cronies again. Since then, I have changed my route to avoid further encounters with this rogue. I now drive a very circuitous route through Olympic Gardens, praying each time that I don't meet upon any volatile situations as I pass the armed forces on patrol in the area.
I pleaded with the police to just remove these boys from the area on the basis of my complaint, to which the response was that if they removed them another set would soon show up. While this may be so, most motorists are prepared to deal with windscreen wipers once they are not abusive and threatening! I urge other motorists who may have had similar experiences to make it known publicly or report it to the police. If enough of us speak out we may just be able to prompt some police action. The fact that these boys can roam freely, taunt drivers and damage our vehicles without penalty is unacceptable but symptomatic of the growing lack of discipline, law and order in our society.
I am, etc.,
FRUSTRATED MOTORIST
ltapper@cwjamaica.com
