FOR umpteen years now I have been writing about how Guyanese are being treated, (or I should say mistreated) at Trinidad’s Piarco International  Airport.
I was so excited for myself and other Guyanese when the news report said the Government of Guyana and Caribbean Airlines(CA) worked out something so Guyanese will no more endure what’s meted out to them while in-transit in Trinidad.
I wish to urge the President and Minister of Tourism of Guyana, through this news medium, not to be fooled by CA.
CA knows that once it has the monopoly on travel, Guyanese especially will have to endure the harassment at the hands of Trinidadian immigration at all times.
All Trinis want to do is to show Guyanese how superior Trinis are compared to Guyanese, with the intention to let Guyanese know ‘who is boss’ and ‘who is boy’.
This nonsense has been going on for too long and only the Government of Guyana could put a full stop to this.
I was told in 1986, while in-transit in Trinidad, that I have to pay for overweight.
I did not pay because the weight I had in my suitcase was correct for travel to Guyana.
Security was called in on me but I stood my ground and did not pay what the Trinidadian officials were asking me to pay.
I was then told that I cannot go on my connecting flight, but that there was a small aircraft that was leaving for Guyana and if I wanted to I can go on it, but I was not getting on my connecting flight to Guyana.
I hopped on that small aircraft and made my trip to Guyana.
I vowed never to travel again through Trinidad, so I was coming home with Guyana Airways for my subsequent trips to Guyana.
When Guyana Airways went belly-up I used to go to Guyana through direct flights with Air Transat, and all others that were flying direct from Toronto to Guyana.
Last year I went home for a funeral and was forced to use CA.
Again I vowed never to come home unless there are direct flights from Toronto to Guyana.
I asked if I can go for a smoke while in transit for four hours and was told by a Trinidadian official that I could not because I could lose my flight.
On going to Guyana, I never thought I would have to change seats in an aircraft, but I did last year.
A one-hour stopover became more than two hours sitting in an aircraft.
Four hours wait for connecting flight out of Trinidad became more than six hours wait.
The worst part of it all is that, when you get off the flight in Trinidad, Guyanese have to bow to their Trinidadian masters by going through rigid security checks again.
I asked what I could possibly place on my person after being checked thoroughly in Guyana, but the gentleman did not even acknowledge my question.
After sitting there for more than six hours, where no announcements were made, one Trini lady came and say “y’all get ready to board”.
The most hurtful part of it all was that the aircraft was filled when it left Toronto.
When it touched down in Trinidad, less than 20 people came off the flight, which I took to mean that Trinis are more important than a plane filled with mostly Guyanese.
Two days ago I called my booking agent because I wanted to come home, hoping that things might have changed with CA, only to find out that the price is $1,381 Canadian, with one stop in Trinidad to Guyana.
I told my booking agent I don’t mind paying $1381 Cdn for a flight to Guyana, but it must be a direct flight, and I cancelled out.
I know many Guyanese at this time of year who want to come home, but will never fly CA for that price, only to be hassled and be treated as common criminals in Trinidad.