People routinely write letters saying “Trinidad is not a real country.” Of course that’s nonsensical, but I can understand where their thoughts may be coming from. Our population takes everything lightly, including the people in charge – the usual “nine-day wonder” scenario – so we are never serious about anything.

To wit: Wrecking: we get hot and sweaty any time the authorities announce they are going to resume towing illegally parked vehicles. But they will soon backslide again because the wrecker will start up, work for a couple of weeks and then never be seen again for months. Supposedly they are on Ariapita Avenue and all over Woodbrook but you would never guess that from the amount of vehicles parked under “No Parking” signs.

The alert goes out, “No inspection stickers displayed – tickets and demerit points!” That galvanises people into action for a couple of weeks – fixing their broken tail lights, horns, mufflers and the like. But lo and behold, after a month that ceases to be an issue again until another announcement from the toothless authorities.

And let’s not even talk about enforcing the speed limit. When that announcement first came out and radar guns were being used, everyone was driving slow and nice, no road hogs behind you flashing lights for you to get out of their lane – driving was easy. Now we have the police cars on the highways and drivers are zooming past them with no repercussions.

We may be a real country, but we’re quickly getting to a state where we may not be for much longer.

HAFEEZ AMIN

Woodbrook