Jaristotle's Jottings | The paradox of baskets carrying water

I am quite sure most Jamaicans are familiar with the term ‘using basket fi carry water’ and understand the impracticality of the ‘practice’. Ironically, it seems our system of government is predicated on using baskets to carry the waters of responsibilities of public office and expecting the lesser beings below to do the same with what trickles down on to them. Just ask ACP Bishop Dr Gary Welsh.

Just this past week, and with the new school year upon us, Karl Samuda, the de facto minister of education, called for sufficient police officers to be deployed to direct traffic so as to prevent undue delays. He went further, making reference to retired Superintendent Radcliffe Lewis, a former head of the JCF’s Traffic Division, who was known for his novel, yet ‘purposeful means of dealing with traffic in challenging situations’, and called on serving officers to emulate him when performing their traffic duties.

Draw brakes. Was that not what ACP Welsh was ‘bishoping’ for last week when he was defrocked of his responsibilities as chief traffic manager?

So, this is where the basket and the water issues arise. The Government, represented by the likes of Mr Samuda, wants to see a traffic system (the water) that is devoid of delays. But there are numerous issues forcing the traffic to a snail’s pace: ongoing roadworks, non-functioning stoplights and road hogs. Whereas the Government has every intention to address the first two issues, the latter remains a perennial problem for all of us because our leaders are either unwilling or incapable of ridding us of the road hogs. They are carrying the traffic system in a blooming basket, and the water which leaks out are these road hogs.

What’s the point?

So, what is the point of Mr Samuda’s utterances? Just more gum-beating for the sake of having said something, I suppose.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has a major responsibility to police our roads and to endeavour to control the goings-on, particularly to arrest dangerous and reckless driving and such driving and behaviour which contribute to delays in traffic. Sadly, they have inherited a basket as well, and guess what? Dem ah carry di same water dat leak outa di government basket. And the said water ah leak from fi dem basket right pon top of fi wi head cause, like di government, dem either unwilling or incapable of ridding us of di road hog dem.

I have consistently maintained that the sure way to defeat road-hoggism is to put the burden of inconvenience on the road hogs themselves. Forget about ticketing them because that system is a farce as far as road hogs are concerned. Stop them, seize their vehicles and ‘pedestrianise’ them and we will be well on our way to defeating the plague on our roads.

Going back to the call for Lewis-like initiatives, why was the bishoply plan to establish customer centres catering to road hogs so rapidly busted? Is it because of calls from on high for fear of compromising voter support, or was it because of the significant beneficial ownership of public passenger vehicles within the JCF?

Let’s cut to the cloth on this, the bishop may have made ACP Welsh handle the Benz-do-nuts issue the way he did, but the policeman in him came to the fore thereafter to do something meaningful, and that seems to have got him in trouble. His basket never just leak: it tun over. Classic example of the paradox of government and law enforcement in Jamaica.

The double standards, the baskets being used to carry water are a cop-out for government and the police, and it is the taxpaying public getting soaked. When will enough really become enough?

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