PEEPER STUMPS HIS BIG TOE
April 22, 2015 | By KNews | Filed Under Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom, Source
Walking on the pavement on Regent Street, the main commercial street in Georgetown is like being caught in the middle of a sandwich. The pavement is once again being overrun: this time by both vendors and businesses alike.
There is competition for space. The vendors are once again taking over the pavements. And in order to protect their interests, some shop owners have taken to selling on the pavement.
As I was navigating my way down the pavement, I almost broke my big toe. It collided with one of the pallets being used by a vendor to sell pirated movies. He saw me grimacing in pain and unapologetically asked me what had happened, pretending that it was not his encumbrances that left me in so much agony.
If I had stumped my toe on one of the pavements in New York, I would have been a rich man today. I would have been able to sue the city for not keeping the pavements clear. But in Guyana, you have to take your knocks and keep quiet. There is no one to even complain to.
The stumped toe was not the end of my woes. As I was trying to squeeze through the limited space that is now left for pedestrians using the pavement, I felt a bounce on my right side. I immediately knew what was happening. I quickly put my hand to my right side trousers’ pockets. I felt another hand already there. When I looked to my side, I saw a young man. He quickly pulled his hand out of my pocket and smiled at me. Talk about being barefaced!
He had failed in his attempt to make me his latest pickpocket victim. Before I could restrain him he disappeared. I could not pursue him because the entire pavement was being overrun with pedestrians and vendors.
Just then I felt hungry. Not knowing where I could get a tasty meal, I asked a passerby. He pointed me to a vehicle parked on the road, a big van from which the food was being sold. This is now the latest craze in vending. Vending on wheels!
Persons turn up, park in the public parking spaces, and conduct their business. I was told that these vehicles that are selling food do not have their public health certificates displayed, which other establishments are required to do.
I am not sure how many of them also pay taxes. What I do know is that it is patently unfair for businesses that bear the brunt of local rates and taxes to have to compete with who are allowed to sell from vehicles alongside the streets.
My problems did not end there. At one of the major junctions there are traffic lights with filters to direct when pedestrians should cross. Some persons however do not have the patience to wait on the “green man” that indicates when you should walk. They simply cross on the pedestrian crossing at the first opportunity.
In order to regulate the situation, a policeman was placed at this busy junction. Instead of the guy being at the crossing, he was sheltering on the pavement under the extension of a store. However, no sooner did someone try to cross when he or she should not, the policeman shouted at them to wait. A few complied, but most did not. And the reason for the disrespect for the law is simply because the lawman was not respecting his work by standing in the comfort of the shade.
I walked and walked on the pave until I came to a commercial bank. Just then my cell phone rang. But guess what, I could not answer the phone because parked alongside the pavement was a cart selling pirated CDs and the cart was blaring music so loud that there was no way I could hear what was being said.
And guess what? This was outside a bank. Now how can you have someone blasting music outside a bank where people may be transporting money and may need to get in touch with their chauffeurs?
I am not surprised that so many persons are being robbed when leaving banks. There used to be rules long ago that prohibited vehicles from parking outside of banks. These days, the taxis are parking on the “no-parking” signs outside the banks.
In addition, vendors are plying their wares right outside the banks and this presents some security challenges, because with all the crowding, bandits are going to find ways to observe you. At one junction you have a vendor selling water out of large containers. It is illegal for you to park at a junction. Yet here is a vendor permanently parked at a junction and nothing is being done about it.
This is a problem for those in charge of the city which is controlled by the main opposition party. I am not certain if the opposition parties are going to address this issue after the elections. But Guyana desperately needs need greater compliance with its city by-laws. It needs more discipline.
However, I cannot see how this is going to be achieved without addressing the nightmare experience involved in walking along the city’s pavements.