A HORRIBLE trip to the Deeds Registry at the New Amsterdam High Court got more horrible as I witnessed an 87-year-old handicapped woman waiting in the hot sun for nearly an hour on Wednesday before staff from the registry came out to take her fingerprints needed for a transaction.
This place is so sickening! I turned up there one morning to have a document notarised, only to see a sign on the wall that documents are not signed until 10:00 hrs. Only in Guyana you have one notary public in the entire town and have these public officers waltzing in to work hours after the stipulated time.
So I waited. Ten o’ clock came and went. The Notary Public—the only such person in the town—waltzed in way after 10 ‘o clock and retreated to her office. At this time, there was already a crowd waiting with documents to be notarised. Other persons kept turning up to transact other business, and I was appalled at the slothfulness at which those persons were working! There, too, seemed to be no order.
Matters regarding lands and transports—personal matters—which should be discussed in private are overheard by the other persons waiting because of the physical arrangement of the counter and chairs. This should not be. I overheard the cashier telling someone she did not have change for $1,000! The nerve!
I have heard horror stories about this place, but there I was experiencing it first- hand. And to top it off, this was how these “hospitable Guyanese” treated this old woman.
The woman was in a wheel- chair and fell asleep in it because she was waiting outside in the sun for nearly an hour, before those inhumane persons came to their senses and went outside to her.
What a shame and disgrace! We have the Disabilities People Act but these public places have steps—huge long steps—to be climbed, and there are no wheelchair slopes.
I watched as employee after employee passed this old woman waiting and sitting and languishing in the sun but no one lifted their tongue to assist. The woman’s niece was inside, amidst a crowd, and seemingly could not be looked at quickly enough.
Suppose that woman had collapsed, then who would have been responsible? The woman’s relative kept moving up the wheelchair further and further to the steps as the sunlight kept creeping up on her, but when the wheelchair would have reached near the steps, there would have been no place to go.
I do not think the individuals at this office like their jobs. Therefore, some serious measures should be taken against them. People need to get a grip of themselves and get serious about the jobs they are doing. They are not doing the public a favour. I truly regret being there and not speaking out but this is the least I could do to expose this unfortunate incident.
This is a shameful example of inhospitable uncaring attitudes by a few Guyanese and they should be ashamed of themselves!