Agents of anarchy
Stabroek News
May 13, 2002
Dear Editor,
Allow me to list the Ten Commandments which seem to govern the average mini- bus operators.
(1) Drivers and conductors from early in the day must treat their passengers with unsavory "songs" to start the day.
(2) Ignore the feelings and decency of their passengers as they sit quite sheepishly pretending not to hear.
(3) Try their utmost to make their passengers anxious as they try to overtake another bus doing 80 mph.
(4) Look at the aged on the road as if they are invisible.
(5) Switch off the "music" on approaching police stations.
(6) Believe that it is their democratic right to educate the travelling school children with their rap and dub filth.
(7) Ram pack some passengers and soil their clothes.
(8) Refuse to pick up passengers who seem to have excessive baggage.
(9) Always be in a hurry.
(10) Display impatience towards passengers.
The poor commuters have to be contented with the standards dictated by the mini-bus operators. While I applaud the decency and good service of some drivers and conductors, it is a crying shame that there are those who can be relied upon to display lawlessness and insensitivity.
The various mini-bus organisations are clearly not geared to provide a clean service to the public. I list the mini-bus service among the top five agencies which are helping to make our country notorious.
(1) Crime on person and property (caused by bandits)
(2) Crime on the mind - (mini-bus and pornographic literature)
(3) Crime of indiscipline (vending, parking etc)
(4) White collar crime (bribery, embezzlement etc)
(5) Open indecency (cursing etc)
It is high time steps are put in place to stem this terrible slide to anarchy. The police are not doing a good job to get rid of the dread boxes. Why the inconsistency of this campaign that was on recently? Would the traffic department respond if the numbers of buses which have huge speakers, or carry overloads are published.
My fervent hope is that the decent and mature drivers remain on our roads as long as possible - at least until I can afford to buy my own private transportation.
Yours faithfully,
Commuter (name and address supplied)