A time when high govt. officials mistreated a policeman

Oct 27, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor;
The story by Derrick Cummings of naked abuse of power on Demerara Harbour Bridge (as reported in SN and KN) reminded me of an experience I had some years ago whereby the arrogance of authority was displayed in its true form and colour, only that this one I’m about to tell is in reverse of that told by Derrick Cummings, where instead of a Senior Police Officer bullying his way, it was a decent traffic cop on the receiving end of raw arrogance by a Senior Government Official. I recall some years ago travelling on a big-bus (Tata) from Linden to Georgetown when it broke down, as had become a common occurrence. Those who were lucky caught other transportation, as I was also lucky to be picked up by two people in a wagon.
I gathered they were senior government officials. About five minutes into our journey we reached the Linden/Soesdyke Junction where a traffic cop was standing, as we turned he beckoned to the driver to stop. Now this wagon wasn’t brand new and did appear to have some defects which the traffic-cop observed as he was examining the vehicle, slowly circling it and shaking his head in obvious disapproval that much was amiss. Then the driver said to the cop very crudely: “hurry up ah gat ah appointment”, to which the cop was taken aback and retorted “what!” and the man repeated more forcedly and rudely this time “ah seh ah gahfuhguh out”.
I had seen cops like him before time and time again, from the way he was attired you instantly recognised that he was no slouch and one who took pride in his work. He was neatly dressed, his uniform well pressed and his long white sleeves immaculate as was his shirt, as was the hat on his head the cutting seam on his pants down to his gleaming black shoes.
The man was rude and disrespectful but he kept his calm and remained well-mannered as he said to the man very politely, “let me see your driver’s license sir:”, and the man replied “ah fuget it home”, to which the officer chuckled, as I imagined in his head a foregone conclusion that this rude fellow must be taught a lesson today. Then the cop requested of him some form of identification to which he quickly responded by producing a small folder/card holder. The officer took it, examined it thoroughly as I watched his countenance changed from plump self-confidence, assurance and some leverage of authority as accorded him by duty, to one of dejection, frustration, annoyance and emptiness as he folded the folder shaking his head yet again and returned it to the man who snatched it from him with disdain, while saying moreso to himself “just imagine a senior government officer, senior government officer”. I am writing this now after so many years and I can still feel the hurt.
For whatever reason known only to him, he peeped into the wagon and uttered something and the woman sitting inside and already primed up from all that she saw, popped herself up some more and snapped in a rather audacious belligerent manner: “Are you speaking to me?” “Oh no mam not you sorry” realising that he got the message that she was not one to mess with. She cleared her throat and said in a rather haughty tone “oh it couldn’t possibly be” emphasising on couldn’t, every letter of the word was distinct. I heard the traffic cop kept grumbling “senior government officials” as I observed him. He was stripped bare of whatever he thought of himself, at least for that moment, the wind under his wings was gone so too was the spring in his steps.
That encounter messed him up greatly as it did to me. Then when this Government Official drove off he turned to the woman who seemed to be his secretary and undoubtedly his mistress, smiled and said “he should ah mekheself stupid and see wha would ah happen, Monday morning he would ah been looking fuh a job”. She smiled back in naughty agreement.
I was sitting there all along, so thankful for the ride yet oblivious and invisible to them, in any event it didn’t matter to them what the hell I think; they were that daring. They chatted about it for a short while as we went along and I could have seen the content on their faces, the satisfaction that this position they were placed in offered them clout and influence to lord it over others.
Frank Fyffe

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