Enforce the law

February 9, 2004

Dear Sir,

I read today in your newspaper a letter by ‘Retired Police Officer' in Smith's Parish under the heading ‘Thinking about bike safety'. It probably should have been ‘Child safety on bikes', but no matter.

Firstly, I cannot recall “demanding” anything in my letter to the Commissioner of Police. Who in their right mind would “demand” things of a man in his position?

This retired officer of the law seems to be in complete agreement with me when I point out that it is against the law, but questions that the practice is dangerous. He goes on to explain that in his experience with the force there have been no accidents involving children carried in front on a scooter (presumably also motorcycle).

I think this is fine and dandy, to use a phrase popularised by the comedian George Carlin. However, comedy not withstanding, I can relate something which happened while I was living in a suburb of the city of Stockholm in Sweden.

The street in front of the area where I lived was a straight stretch of road used by bus drivers as some sort of speedway. So much so, that the residents in the area approached the police of the district to ask that speed bumps be installed. They were completely astounded when the response to their request, which was “We cannot do much until something occurs” (or words to the affect.)

A while back I heard from a friend I had in that development who reported that indeed a woman pushing a child in a baby carriage on a crossing had been struck by one of these buses. The Police immediately suggested (you got it) putting in speed bumps to reduce the speed on that stretch of road. Incredible, indeed. This is of course in no way any reflection on our own police force, but it does illustrate a point. That point is: Why wait until one of these children gets their face smashed to pieces - or worse still, killed, when simply enforcing the law could perhaps prevent it?

I also wrote a letter to your newspaper, Mr. Editor, (November 21 last year) in which I related witnessing a man on a motorcycle rocketing over Somerset Bridge at an unhealthy rate of speed with a small child trying (to my mind) desperately to cling to the handlebars. Maybe this was an unwed father, raising this child as a single parent and who hadn't the finances to afford a car. I don't know. I do know that what was apparent at the time was that the man in question was, without a doubt, putting the life of that child in very serious danger.

Let's say the child had flown off the gas tank of that motorcycle and was smashed against the wall of Somerset Bridge. Not a nice thought agreed, but just for the sake of discussion here: We'd see the usual photo of poor Jimmy of Tamika or whatever the child's name was along with the text covering the grief of the parent(s) and more text about how tragic it is to see a young life ended in such a way, and so on. The Police would also be put in the position of finding out exactly what happened, so they would interview witnesses, if there were any. How would they handle this? Is the man just damned unlucky to lose his child in this way? Is he guilty of reckless driving (riding in this case)? Or, is he guilty of manslaughter?

The young woman in traffic next to the police car is another situation. Let's say the car in front of her suddenly brakes - hard. She now has to make two split-second decisions. Does she slam on her brakes, both hands, and her child gets badly injured or killed? Does she try to grab the child with one hand, and brake hard with the other? In which case they may both be injured or killed? Interesting situation. All the while the two policemen are right next door in their car, and probably at least one of them sees all this happen. Again, if it turns out badly, we get the usual photo in the paper of what is reported as a tragic accident, and so on. My question is, was it actually tragic, or was it avoidable and is the young woman culpable of anything in the eyes of the law?

Interesting stuff to think about, especially for people who carry small children on the front of scooters or on the gas tanks of motorcycles.

There was a time in Bermuda when child seats were sold for the back of scooters and motorcycles, for small children. I don't know if they are still available in the shops which sell scooters and motorcycles. But how much effort does it take to check? If they are not sold, then why not? I understand those who don't have seat belts for their cars have to have them installed (or so I was told). Are these available in auto shops?

I realise that such child seats for bikes are rather ugly and definitely not cool, but used correctly they could do the trick and add some safety to the overall picture. They even came back then with straps to hold a child in place.

Actually, it is excellent that a retired police officer wrote in with his comments on this issue. After all, a Retired Police Officer should carry a certain pondus. I'm not sure what he meant when he said: “The law would be an ass and should be changed”. Interesting comment from a man who's job it was to uphold the law. In any case, we should all welcome his suggestion that the situation be looked at by the Road Safety Council. Might I add to that: “About time, too.”

JACK GAUNTLETT

Sandys Parish

Playing games

February 1, 2004

Dear Sir,

Watch Out! “The Boys in Blue are after you” playing cat and mice games; it is very sad when I see them doing things of this nature instead of getting down to the real serious problems going on in the Island.

On Wednesday morning February 11, a Policeman parks his at Cavendish parking lot, walks across the street to an area to hide, watches as vehicles/motorbikes are approaching the top of Spurling Hill taking note of which vehicle/motorbike try to beat the amber light entering into Reid Street, he then proceeds to radio officers standing by Defontes Broadcasting Station pulling the person or persons over to give them a ticket, in the meantime (holding up rush hour traffic) fun and games. I would have thought there were other important task for these officers to be working on.

Trying to beat the amber lights has been going on for years and will continue for years we all know it is against the law to be running lights; we all do it, and will continue to do it. There just seems to be more important issues to be dealing with, instead of playing cat and mice games.

If you don't have enough work for your team to do then it is very sad...

WATCH DOG

Devonshire

Be wary of isolation

February 5, 2004

Dear Sir,

Once again you supporters of independence are raising your voices. The media loves it. It sells papers. Personally I think you supporters are out of your minds or have a personal agenda.

We are one of the most isolated countries in the world. We are tiny in terms of size and population. We have no natural resources. We cannot even produce enough produce to feed ourselves.

We have two sources of income: Tourism and International business. Tourism is still declining. We have faults in this regard but mostly it is competition. Every country down to every town seeks tourists. International business will in time disappear. With the advances in computerisation, electronics, etc. International business as we know it will become redundant. As we know it is getting assaulted in many ways. If Howard Dean were to be President he will do his best to eliminate it. He has already stated his position on Bermuda, which he calls a tax haven.

I have lived in two countries that were independent. They both had to devalue their money. Could we afford that? Even our food could double in price, as would cars, appliances, building materials, overseas trips, education costs abroad, etc.

As for all the fuss over the Chief Justice. Does anyone other than lawyers those unfortunate to be brought before the Chief Justice really care who is CJ? How many people even know the name of the retiring Chief Justice? I for one am pleased to see a non-political appointee. I personally would like to see all judges as non-Bermudian, so we might see no political and non-impartial judgments. e.g. the Bascome judgment .

William Cox wrote a letter recently using several reasons not to go independent. Dr. Tamerry followed with a letter dismissing these because Mr. Cox is white. How racial was that statement? Dr. Tamerry ‘s letter went on about terrorism, kidnapping, enslavements, lynching, raping, murder, genocide etc. He perhaps was writing about present conditions in Africa. Some African leaders do not even acknowledge HIV/AIDS as a problem. By the way slavery has been a problem for thousands of years. Every conqueror from day one has enslaved the conquered.

Stuart Hayward writes that everyone wants independence. Who is he talking about? Very few of my colleagues, associates, friends or relatives want it. Nor do my wife's relatives and she, I swear, is related to half the population.

Dr. Ewart Brown apparently stated even the lower forms of life seek independence. What world does he live in? Leave the group and you will get eaten. Watch out small fish!

The UK has very little influence on your daily life and we should be glad we have their backing. If not some crazy politician in the US, calling us a tax haven could impose sanctions on us or worse. If Howard Dean wins the presidential election watch out. He has already stated he is out to get Bermuda.

I am not fond of English people but we enjoy what they provided for such as our education system, our legal system, our political system, our sports etc.

Our young people can now study, work and live in UK or Europe. Isolate ourselves and you could eliminate the fantastic opportunities for them. Our children studied for their chosen fields. Back here there would be no career openings for them. Outside medicine, law, accounting or insurance career opportunities here are severely limited.

Enjoy our country and way of life. Please do nothing to screw it up.

NOT UNTIL IT IS ADVANTAGEOUS

Warwick

The curse of racism

February 14, 2004

Dear Sir,

Dr. Tamerry should know after all of this time that I do not have to feel personally attacked in order to respond to an injustice, particularly those that deal with skin colour. His earlier attack on those of a lighter hue in connection with Mr. Cox was particularly ill-advised since many of a lighter hue and “high yellar” voted for Mr. Cox and so returned him to the House repeatedly, just as there were whites who decided to give him what was at the time a rare opportunity to practice and excel in his profession and also possibly put him in a position to open doors for other younger blacks at Belco.

I have been blessed to have a father who was “high yellar” and a mother who was a delicious chocolate brown, and I and my siblings have skin colours that vary from that of my mother to that of my father and all in between. Thus, unlike Dr. Tamerry, I have to be repeatedly reminded that a part of the curse of racism is to impose a significance to skin colour among blacks which is even more absurd than racism itself.

EVA N. HODGSON

Crawl