Sunday Vision.
Door: hannyonthemove
10 September 2010 | Oeganda, Kampala
Angela Kintu: I am now a man.
Last weekend I became a man - no not the way you think. I became a full member of Kampala society when I went through a Ugandan rite of passage: I bribed a policeman. Some people undergo circumcision, others fight lions; in Kampala we give our first bribe. I can think of so many public officials, who would be so proud of me right now.
Last weekend a Police patrol car chased me down and stopped me. Believe me, when your mind is far away and you are listening to loud music on the radio the last thing you expect is a truck load of armed cops to suddenly fill your rear view mirror; especially when things in the mirror are "closer than they appear".
At first I assumed I was in the way of a convoy, and had failed to hear the sirens because of my music. However, the Policemen had noticed that the car I was driving had no side mirrors. This was courtesy of a brief stopover at Bugolobi, when some person who needed the mirrors more than I, did decide to relieve me of them. I was, in effect, driving a car in dangerous mechanical condition. The two policemen who came over to harass me proceeded to make sure I was aware of just how dangerous. The usual song-and-dance began.
Thing in uniform: Madam, do you know what you were doing? Me: I thought I did, but I am sure we will have different answers to that question. TiU: You are having very many faults on your car. I now have to give you tickets for the side mirrors, the scratched paint, plus your tyres. Eh, madam, will you even leave the station today? Me: I know I am in the wrong and I do not want to make life harder for you, so just do what you have to do. Ticket me.
TiU: But madam, I do not want to disturb you... At this point I almost burst into laughter. Disturb me? You just scared the hell out of me by chasing me down with waving guns and now you are concerned that arresting me might "disturb me"? After going back and forth for several minutes with me begging him to give me a ticket and him insisting he did not want to disturb me, he finally said Ush20,000 would do nicely for him. In the spirit of the credit crunch, I bargained him down and paid up.
I noted the patrol car number and the officer's name, fully intending to go to the station and complain because I know it is not the job of patrol officers to deal with traffic offences. However I was shocked by how easy it was to pay my first bribe and am very ashamed of myself. It takes two to keep the wheel of corruption spinning. so I am not going to report the incident. I am just going to make sure I never give them a reason to stop me again.
Sunday Vision, controled by Mr. Museveni... August 1st. 2010. One Euro equals about 2500 Uganda Shilling.
Last weekend I became a man - no not the way you think. I became a full member of Kampala society when I went through a Ugandan rite of passage: I bribed a policeman. Some people undergo circumcision, others fight lions; in Kampala we give our first bribe. I can think of so many public officials, who would be so proud of me right now.
Last weekend a Police patrol car chased me down and stopped me. Believe me, when your mind is far away and you are listening to loud music on the radio the last thing you expect is a truck load of armed cops to suddenly fill your rear view mirror; especially when things in the mirror are "closer than they appear".
At first I assumed I was in the way of a convoy, and had failed to hear the sirens because of my music. However, the Policemen had noticed that the car I was driving had no side mirrors. This was courtesy of a brief stopover at Bugolobi, when some person who needed the mirrors more than I, did decide to relieve me of them. I was, in effect, driving a car in dangerous mechanical condition. The two policemen who came over to harass me proceeded to make sure I was aware of just how dangerous. The usual song-and-dance began.
Thing in uniform: Madam, do you know what you were doing? Me: I thought I did, but I am sure we will have different answers to that question. TiU: You are having very many faults on your car. I now have to give you tickets for the side mirrors, the scratched paint, plus your tyres. Eh, madam, will you even leave the station today? Me: I know I am in the wrong and I do not want to make life harder for you, so just do what you have to do. Ticket me.
TiU: But madam, I do not want to disturb you... At this point I almost burst into laughter. Disturb me? You just scared the hell out of me by chasing me down with waving guns and now you are concerned that arresting me might "disturb me"? After going back and forth for several minutes with me begging him to give me a ticket and him insisting he did not want to disturb me, he finally said Ush20,000 would do nicely for him. In the spirit of the credit crunch, I bargained him down and paid up.
I noted the patrol car number and the officer's name, fully intending to go to the station and complain because I know it is not the job of patrol officers to deal with traffic offences. However I was shocked by how easy it was to pay my first bribe and am very ashamed of myself. It takes two to keep the wheel of corruption spinning. so I am not going to report the incident. I am just going to make sure I never give them a reason to stop me again.
Sunday Vision, controled by Mr. Museveni... August 1st. 2010. One Euro equals about 2500 Uganda Shilling.
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Je kunt nu ook Smileys gebruiken. Via de toolbar, toetsenbord of door eerst : te typen en dan een woord bijvoorbeeld :smiley
