The views expressed herein are those of the writer and do not represent the opinions or editorial position of I-Witness News. Opinion pieces can be submitted to [email protected].
Dear Editor,
Do grant me permission to express my opinion via your medium. I will try to make things as short as possible.
You see, Sept. 1, 2014 was a very special day for me, my son started preschool for the second time around at Little Learners in Arnos Vale, just in Sergeant Jack Drive.
With traffic being so hectic, started as far back as the Tolco Hotel, I decided to pull straight into the gap to go to the school and drive back down so as to avoid waiting another 30 minutes just to get from there to rent and drive as oppose to 20 seconds or so. Lo and behold, as soon as I entered the gap there was traffic officer Sergeant Nero on his bike stopped in the road.
He stopped me and asked, ‘Way you going?’, to which I replied, “My son is going to the preschool just behind you so I thought it would be OK to just drive through and drop him off.’ Mr. officer said to me, “OK but it will cost you’, then asked for my driver’s license and proceeded to issue me a ticket. My son was in his car seat looking at his now favorite show Little Einstein, totally oblivious as to what’s taking place.
But you see, that’s not my issue. Not too long after he stopped me, another vehicle pulled into the same gap and I reckon the driver had the same thought as I did, because he too got pulled over also. Mr. Officer them came back to me with the ticket and my license and said to me, “You know the procedure”. As I drove off I looked back in my rear view mirror and stopped in total shock and disgust when the other drive was just asked to turn back and not ticketed. So I am left with this question to traffic officer Sergeant Nero: Why was it appropriate to issue me a ticket and not the other driver? As you clearly see, this was blatant discrimination, but on what grounds? Could it be because not too long ago you tried to prosecute me on a bogus traffic offense and tried to insult my little intelligent by coercing a statement from me?
St. Vincent is a democratic state and the police officers are supposed to be strong upholders and protectors of the law. However, I was taught differently by Sergeant Nero. He exhibited to me that what’s good for the goose is not good for the gander.
Mr. officer, in conclusion I think you should try to do your job on a leveled playing field and not based on your feeling or emotions. Since I was ticketed, the other driver should have been ticketed also. If not, both of us should have been let off with a warning. Now I am forced to break into my son’s piggy bank to pay $80 for a ticket that I can’t even afford.
Kraig H.D. Smart
South Union
The opinions presented in this content belong to the author and may not necessarily reflect the perspectives or editorial stance of iWitness News. Opinion pieces can be submitted to [email protected].
Kraig Smart, WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE GOOSE OUGHT ALSO TO BE GOOD FOR THE GANDER – – – TOO !
Its left to an officers discretion who he decides to ticket and who to give a break, its never wise to question that.
Kraig, you should count yourself as being lucky on this occasion. If you had failed the politeness test, according to police rules, you could well have been dragged off to the police station where a much more serious crime confession may have been beaten from you.