In our own way we envision a better world made possible via the little things we do as we go about life. We know we lack the powers to make monumental changes – as Gandhi and Mandela did, but we are satisfied to know we stopped to let a citizen cross the street and made life easier for that person; we are pleased to give way to another person although we had the right of way. These things we do knowing that the world evolves consequentially.
When, however, out of pettiness, out of ignorance, out of attitude, you choose to be spiteful, hateful by denying someone their entitlement, you are just holding back the world from moving on; and if, as a consequence, you are made to pay then know what happens is what you have begged for. I write of this because of my experience today with officialdom (‘officialdumb’).
For the simple procedure of having a car colour change I just made my second trip to the licensing office in Princes Town; If I had succeeded in my undertaking this was not going to be a letter written but because I failed, I felt the need to put pen to paper so someone with an iota of intelligence could fix this nonsense taking place at this office where authoritarian excess is in the hands of couple saw-dust Caesars.
Yesterday September, 12th my application for the colour change was refused because I didn’t have a utility bill which was incidentally filched from me a couple days before when I went to renew my driver’s permit. I thought that they having taking it it would take care of that requirement but I returned and found out that that wasn’t the case but bringing a second one didn’t end my troubles as the officer there apparently wanted my blood. He couldn’t see anything wrong with my application but started to complain about my address. His complain was so scurrilous as was proven by the address on both my I.D. and driver’s permit which being one and the same. The address on both documents I had been using for years and never had a problem with it until now.
Somebody with reading ability please take a look at this incident and see if because the officer wears a long sleeve white shirt and has some bars on his shoulders he could arbitrarily deny your application out of whims and fancies.
May I point out this character who thinks that he is the emperor of Princes Town as he is easily recognisable since he is an Indo-Trini who looks more like a hippo in size than a human being. I told him this letter was coming but he ignored me because he is ‘all powerful’ and it’s people like him who have created the adversarial relationship that exists in this society making people walk around in the warpath all the time.
Please note as we could start to straighten out this place by fixing these bad eggs.
L. Siddhartha Orie
(Author of 17 books).