An illogical country limps along

Aug 31, 2016 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

I will ask readers to reflect on what follows in the lines below and ask themselves if human behaviour can be so illogical, or if it is a case of Guyana being a very lost country. For years now, I have had a problem with how my two phone bills reach me. I have two land lines in the same name at the same address. One bill comes one week before the other. I couldn’t understand this. It was illogical. It didn’t make sense.
If I have insurance for two motor cars, in the same name at the same address, then it is logical for the company to send me two bills at the same time when they go through their computer database. Why would they post one bill on a particular day, then next week post another bill? I got really fed up with this phone bill fiasco. It just didn’t make sense. I have to go SUREPAY one day then a week after again.
I went to see the deputy head of the central post office. His explanation was simple. He said it was the fault of GTT; it is how GTT sends their bills to the post office. I told him that didn’t make sense. I am a customer living at the same address. He said it has to do with how GTT sends their bills out.
I spoke to Ms. Allison Parker, PRO of GTT, to ask her to intervene with the billing department of GTT to have the matter sorted out. Ms. Parker said there was no matter to be sorted out; GTT would not do that, meaning, send one bill on a particular day, and the other bill a week after. That was it; there wasn’t anything I could do further. I simply accepted that state of affairs. What else could I do?
I wrote two columns about this Guyanese insanity, but the situation continued. Now GTT has employed FedEx to deliver its bills. Do you know both bills are being delivered on the same day? Surely, one cannot be that naïve not to see the connection. The fault was at the post office. That has to be a mystery why the post office couldn’t get it right. Is it a mystery or is it that Guyana is just an illogical country limping along?
What is sad about this country is what the next generation has to put up with. Tomorrow this column here is gone out of the memory of people, but the post office will continue with its inexplicable action. And many more will experience the frustration I have suffered the past few years with my phone bill. You have to come to the conclusion that this country doesn’t work and it just limps along. Here is the evidence for such an interpretation.
The Sunday Chronicle carried as its lead story, the Acting Commissioner of Police – with his photograph – informing the nation that the police, whether anti-crime units or traffic ranks, cannot make random stops. The citizen has to be stopped for a reason and that reason must be given to the citizen. He made that speech on Thursday at a police conference. It was in the media on Friday. On Saturday, as I mentioned in my Monday column, I saw junior traffic ranks ordering routine halts on Croal Street, one block from Brickdam Police Station.
On Tuesday morning, on Sheriff Street, directly opposite Fitness Express store, I saw two anti-crime ranks on motorcycles make a random stop. They didn’t bargain for what they got. The driver told them that he was aware that the police cannot command you without offering a reason. One of them said to the young man. “You’re a law student nuh?”
As it turned out, the guy was. I came up to them, showed them the Chronicle’s front page. One rode away, the other stood his ground and argued that he could issue any command to stop. He belligerently told me he will offer his name and I can make note of the licence plate. His name is Oswald Benjamin. The plate number is CH 3656. The young man chose to be identified. His name is Philip Persaud; licence plate PVV 6206.
Why would anyone think the following – the post office will change; the police will change; the dress code primitiveness will be removed; GPL will come to your rescue when the lines are sparking; GWI will start working on weekends in case of emergency; the Georgetown Hospital will deliver quality service; the courts will be better administered; the streets of Guyana will have lights; the traffic signals will begin to function properly etc. You really think so?

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One thought on “An illogical country limps along”

19CAGriffith48 August 31, 2016 at 8:59 pm

“I wrote two columns about this Guyanese insanity, but the situation continued. Now GTT has employed FedEx to deliver its bills. Do you know both bills are being delivered on the same day? ”

Not surprised one bit.
GPO workers have become complaisant and that outfit needs another leader like Mr.Frank Giles.

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