I have always heard about how serious the police can be, especially at night (over the weekends) of late, and thought it was all a joke. So, last week, after this long day, I decided to do the needful. That is, hook up with the girls over a drink or two; laughed over everything that made and didn’t make sense after which I imagined I would head home in bliss!
And indeed, sheer bliss it was! I felt like a Ninja in those kung fu movies, I braved the road, caring less about which route was clear and which one wasn’t like my fellow peeps did. Suddenly, I saw two patrol cars parked and cops all over, just around the traffic lights along Jinja road. Eeh! It seemed like there had been an accident, until a giggling dude walked close to the window and asked; “Madam, are you okay?”
As I prepared to respond, he requested me to move closer to him and speak with my mouth wide open. Eeeish.. Now, oba it is at that point that reality set in.
I was indeed facing it – the “active police-at night”. Without thinking twice, I decided to be honest and get done with it; after all, this dude did not seem all that serious.
“Yes! I had only two glasses of wine and I am guilty. But this rarely happens and you have every right to put me out and take me to the docks if I am guilty.”
To my amusement, the dude laughed hard and said, “You speak very well.
Thank you for being honest! Eh! Two glasses are fair but if you had seen all the other ladies there, you would have been shocked! They are a disgrace to womanhood. All drunk and denying, eh! Okay just give me my weekend…. No! it’s okay, you can proceed”
It all sounded like music to my ears and of course as he went on jazzing about the other wrongdoers, mbu, I catalyzed in acknowledgement because all I wanted to hear were the last three words, “you can proceed”
However, after the whole circus, it hit me hard…. Although he did not take it, the guy had initially tried to “suggest for his weekend”- whatever this meant, it did not tally with their purpose of parking humongous patrol cars mbu to maintain law and order. Also, certain lines entailed in the conversation like; “you speak very well, thank you for being honest, two glasses is fair” oba just made the whole purpose vague?
So how did this guy detect that indeed, I had only taken two glasses? Then does “speaking nicely” kill the fact that I sure was guilty? Okay except for the fact that I was not drunk and stripping naked in addition to hurling insults to all who cared like the other lot of course, smh!
So what is the basis of these guys and getting active at night if some people can get away scot free depending on how well they play their cards? God forbid but supposing something had happened… then they would have said mbu I was under the influence yet they had let me go?
Me thinks, if we are going to put laws, then let us abide by them. Saving lives in this case and trying to inculcate a culture of not drinking under the influence is a good initiative but if the people empowered to do it do not stick to their guns, then we are wasting time and forcing people to use short cuts for no gain.
So this business of “asking for weekend” and ushering in uncalled for compliments is just being unserious on duty as it is with drinking and driving under the influence- which is so not right and dangerous as well. So my two glasses of wine will only be done if I am with a sober driver, next time. At least, well, on my part, this was a lesson learnt; you too can borrow a leaf.
And to the guys that brave the cold to arrest the culprits, do not let them get away scot free huh? The reason drivers are asked to park and others stopped is not merely for the purpose of making small talk as you try to smell one’s breathe, riyalle!
