Noise nuisance, crazy drivers and the Guyanese nationality

Nov 24, 2018 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

The problem with Guyana is leadership. If long ago we had confronted mini-bus lawlessness, it would have stopped. If we had dealt severely with creators of noise that disturbs peaceful citizens long ago, it would have stopped. If years ago, we had dealt condignly with reckless drivers, unnecessary deaths would have been drastically reduced.
There is something about this nation that revolts the human spirit. My wife and I daily see how sick Guyanese can be. I live on the Railway Embankment very close to UG Road where the traffic lights are. Every afternoon, without exception, the line of cars going east outside my home is very long. It stretches from the signals and back up till to the Aquatic Centre.
Once you are going east, and you stop in the line, you are basically waiting for the green signal. Commonsense would instruct any sane human that you cannot come out of the line because you will clash with the vehicles going west. There is bound to be terrible confusion because you cannot pass; the westbound traffic will be in your way. Every afternoon, my wife and I sit on the verandah and watch at this madness. How can humans be so silly?
This type of insane driving could be stopped but the country’s leadership does not have what Lincoln Lewis referred to as the “testicular fortitude” to confront it with utmost seriousness. First, traffic offence fines are a joke. If you raise the fines, then the burden forces people to be more careful.
Second, what purpose do the cameras serve? For example, I went to Eve Leary to clarify an incident at Lamaha and Camp Streets. The technicians told me the cameras are fixed to observe criminal conduct; they cannot capture drivers violating the traffic signals. This was told to me about four months ago.
You are never going to stop road lawlessness if you do not deal with violators severely. Drivers are going to behave recklessly and just pay the nominal fine. At the confluence of David and Alexander Streets in Kitty, at the direct junction, the police put a no-stopping sign. It really creates confusion when the mini-buses stop right at the junction on David Street in the mornings to pick up passengers. The police saw the pattern and installed the sign. It is contemptuously ignored by the buses every day without exception.
The mayhem disappears overnight if the surveillance cameras are at work. If the next day, the irresponsible driver is hauled in and have to pay a heavy fine, that problem will disappear immediately. He is not going pay a whopping fine every week. I do not think there is any section of this country’s population that would reject a massive increase in traffic fines to stop the madness on Guyana’s roadways.
Countless foreigners have told me that in no other country people drive so insanely. It is absolutely unbelievable. And here is the frightening part – the disease is not manifested by uncouth mini-bus drivers and taxi men only, but also by citizens of all types.
We have gone so far down the road of traffic insanity that this country as a matter of national urgency has to fight it. There is an inexplicable sickness in the minds of this nationality known as Guyanese. No driver wants to park two blocks away to get to the store or the restaurant or the school. They want to park right outside the building. Go on Thomas Street close to Church Street, there is a school there.
There is daily confusion because not one parent wants to park a corner away to take and collect their children. It is the same with Mae’s Primary on Middleton Street. No parent will park on Drury Lane and walk with the kid. No, they must drive right up to the school gate. And the police tolerate this stupidity.
There are dog food sellers on David Street, Kitty. Buyers create traffic confusion because they have to drive right up to the sellers. When these fool go abroad, they park yards and yards away to go to the supermarket.
Finally, we seem to be getting somewhere with noise nuisance. On Thursday, the Minister of Public Security instructed the police to take drastic measures to stop this morbidity. Is there another country in the world where persons driving on the public roadways would play their car stereo with decibels that are comparable to those that obtain in nightclubs?
Of course the noise malady isn’t going away anytime soon. Guess why? Try getting the police cooperation.

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