Speed versus safety

Dennie Quill, Gleaner Columnist

The massive roadwork on Washington Boulevard has taken too long for persons who work or do business in that mostly busy corridor of the nation's capital. Its completion is highly anticipated by all.

Recently, I had to use that road during peak hour around 8 o'clock in the morning, becoming part of the urban crawl that is one of the hazards of city life. There was a long line of eastbound traffic. A great CD by Michael Bolton was enough to tide me through the tedium of the morning.

I have never met a patient minibus driver, and out of the corner of my eye I saw one slip by me and I wondered what kind of magic he was about to perform to get out of this line. I didn't have to wait for too long as the bus, one of those brightly painted ones, edged into a side street on the right only to emerge further down the road and ahead of about 10 vehicles.

We know that minibus drivers do not like it when other motorists get in their way, so I was not too surprised. It is the same mindset that results in them cutting through service stations or any available space that will put them ahead of the competition.

getting ahead

As I moved closer, I observed that the bus had exited through Ziadie Gardens in order to rejoin the line of traffic. He was not alone. Scores of motorists were taking a short cut through this residential area in an attempt to get ahead of the 'fools' who were prepared to wait patiently in line. They were completely oblivious of the chaos that could result from their entering a major roadway at the juncture where heavy-duty equipment use and merging traffic were common features.

Suddenly, it occurred to me that getting ahead in Jamaica these days requires just two things - aggression and cunning. Those who quietly work their way through, inching ahead one day at a time, are more likely to be left behind because there are those among us who will use cunning to deftly navigate the challenges of life.

When roadwork is being under-taken in an area, it is important that motorists and pedestrians pay keen attention. But aggression on our roads has become endemic, and as far as minibus and taxis are concerned, getting to their destination fastest is more important than getting there safely.

Using cunning to get by is an attitude Jamaicans employ all the time. Last month, on a trip to the United States, I saw it in action at the Fort Lauderdale airport. On that afternoon, the visitor line in Immigration was extremely long. Along come two women well in their 60s, I would say, dressed like they had been dropped off at the airport by their pastor. They observed that the line was very long and they were not prepared to wait. So they started looking around in wonderment, one clasping her jaw with a wild stare, while the other asked aloud, "Is this the line?"

ignorance

Eventually, they decided that the middle of the line was good enough. A gentleman, who seemed too decent to pick an argument with them, allowed them to ease in front of him. In the end, the two were processed ahead of a dozen or so persons who had made peace with the idea that they had no alternative but to wait their turn. Understandably, some individuals were irritated at this behaviour because it was obvious that these wily women decided to feign ignorance in order to get by. It didn't matter that angry glances were being directed at them.

But back to the aggression on the roads. I would like to see the police establish an aggressive driver hotline to allow members of the public to report rude, out-of-control drivers who continue to terrorise our roadways.

While minibus and taxi drivers are most aggressive, others in the population are catching up. But I believe with a hotline, we could later move to introduce an aggressive driver database. And the police could then issue warnings to someone who has been reported three or more times.

Next time you are driving on Washington Boulevard during peak hours, observe the minibuses and others who would follow them.

Dennie Quill is a veteran media practitioner. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and denniequill@hotmail.com