I will start with Caribbean Airlines once again. I was travelling with two boarding passes leaving Toronto for Guyana so as to change seats while in Trinidad. Thank heavens, no Trini security checks, as you are not allowed to leave the aircraft before heading to Guyana.
On the way back, after spending three weeks in Guyana, Guyanese passengers were security checked for gate 10 to await their flight from Trinidad to Toronto.
One hour or more after, Guyanese were told they had to leave gate 10 and go to gate six to await their boarding, which meant another Trini security check.
One more Trini security check before boarding, this time it was getting on the nerves of some passengers.
Yet again, for the third time, shoes had to be taken off, arms and legs spread, cameras turned on, and hand luggage opened.
On boarding the aircraft, many Guyanese passengers were asking the air hostesses if they had to strip for another Trini security check before seating.
Because of no direct flights from Toronto to Guyana, many Guyanese are willing to remain where they are and not to visit Guyana, because of Caribbean Airlines and the hassle and harassment they endure in Trinidad. The Government of Guyana is once again urged to stop this madness Guyanese have to endure at the hands of those in Trinidad, and negotiate to have direct flights from Toronto, Canada to Georgetown Guyana.
While in Guyana, I saw good things and very bad things, too.
Thieves broke into five houses in Station and Owen Streets, Kitty while residents were asleep in the early hours of the morning.
Thieves are using the dirty, clogged up alleyways to make their entry and exit after breaking into homes.
Why won’t the government give the four feet of land to residents living in both streets so that alleyways will be no longer there for access to thieves?
That means one less worry for residents, and the so-called City Hall will not have to cry and holler and bawl their guts out that no money is there to clean up alleyways.
On my way to the airport, after spending a most wonderful three weeks with family and friends, a police with a radar gun said he clocked my driver doing 60 kph while the speed limit was 50 kph on the East Bank public road.
I asked my driver what was the fine and when was his court date.
My driver said he had to give the police officer $1,500 because it’s useless going to court to fight the case, because the court would side with the police officer.
Just imagine, a car and a mini bus, two minutes before my driver was stopped, overtook and just zoomed by the vehicle I was in, and they were not clocked nor pulled over because it would take about ten minutes for the police officer to negotiate his deal with speeding drivers.
I spoke with many law abiding citizens of Guyana, and I now know why they all say they are more afraid of some police officers than of bandits.
Government could easily set up sting operations to catch these rogue cops making money on the streets of Guyana.
Just imagine the amount of money this police officer will make in a day’s work should he stop twenty vehicles at $1,500 a piece.
In Toronto, Canada, some police officers will not ticket a driver for going over the speed limit by 10 kph; and if it is done, the drivers can go to court and fight the case. And in most cases, the drivers win, except for speeding in school zones.
The police officers in Toronto, Canada dare not ask for bribes, because they do not, and will never, know who are wired up to carry out sting operations to catch rogue cops.
The Government of Guyana must take very serious action against police officers such as this one with his radar gun on the streets. If not, I am afraid the good law abiding citizens of Guyana will continue to be afraid of police officers, instead of fearing bandits in Guyana.