I AM reporting on events in the order that they occurred last week. First, the anti-crime police on motorcycles: it is customary for Georgetowners to see pairs of anti-crime police ranks on motorcycles. I see them often on the seawall road when I am with my dog.

I have had several heated discussions with those ranks over the years. I have witnessed first-hand how they harass innocent citizens. My last encounter with them was on the Kingston Seawall beach a year ago. They stopped an Amerindian family and instructed the driver to the station because, according to them, he refused an order to move his car and when confronted, one of his papers was missing.

I thought that was a petty matter. I suggested the issue be solved immediately by a simple apology because it was a simple misunderstanding. The man was on the beach with his family. The missing document is one you are allowed to produce within 48 hours. They refused to accept that procedure. I had to call Stan Gouveia, the police PR person, to inform them of the 48 hours requirement.

From all I have seen from these motorcycle officers is that they are more into making traffic stops than intercepting criminals. Last week on Sheriff Street a pair of motorcycle ranks stopped my 18-year-old nephew. They looked into the car trunk and wanted to know about 13 boxes of snacks. I was livid when he rang me.

How can 13 boxes of snacks in a car trunk attract the police? Each day, all over the world, people fill their trunks with legitimate stuff. The examples are in the billions. If you are going to an outdoor sporting event, your trunk will have dozens of cartons of water.

If you are going to a children’s party, your trunk will have dozens of cartons of snacks. I bought 32 boxes of pineapple juice from DSL supermarket on Sherriff Street two weeks ago. It was a sale. The items were reduced to $160 a box from $940. I bought all.

Last Friday, I did a column on the anticipated use of firecrackers two days before Diwali. My concern was the life-threatening injuries to animals. I mentioned how over the years, I have seen squibs (a banned item) being sold openly on Bourda and Robb Streets outside Bourda Market. Guess what? On the morning of Diwali, right at the identical junction, I saw a man selling squibs.
Here were his words: “Last box left, last box left.” I do not have a smart phone or else I would have taken the video. This seller was openly selling a banned item and there were no police around or maybe they were around but couldn’t be bothered. They were around alright and they would have turned up if someone was smoking a marijuana joint.

My home sits right across the road from MovieTowne at Turkeyen, and on Saturday night, people were using loud fireworks, coming from that area and all the dogs in Turkeyen were hollering. I saw a police vehicle turn into the road leading to MovieTowne. It came out back and the fireworks continued. I think the police went to Massy supermarket and just ignored the fireworks.
Finally, last Thursday, for the first time, I went to the Marriott Hotel. A visiting Guyanese since last year wanted to take me, Leonard Gildarie and Charrandas for lunch. This year he insisted. I thought we should oblige him. Gildarie agreed but Charran could not make it because he said he is laid up in bed with injuries after an accident in which a minibus destroyed his car.
Our host chose the Marriott. Unfortunately you will not be able to verify what I saw. And what I saw was incredible. It does not happen and will not happen at another international hotel. The service was buffet. I have never seen a serving plate at a hotel so small. That plate cannot hold a buffet lunch. At a buffet lunch, the offerings are sumptuous and you can take as much as you want

As I was eating, my food kept falling out of the plate. I swear on my parents’ grave this is the truth. The serving plates were absurdly small. I could not believe what I was seeing. I have a preference for sweet things. Marriott had no cake, no ice-cream, no coconut water, and no local juice. Now I may be wrong. They do have those things, but I know they didn’t have them last Thursday. Next time, I am going to settle for German’s split peas soup.