Survival in the Concrete Jungle

(The Wandering Shepherd Website)

(The following story is based on real events)

It was a Saturday night and I had just met up with my friends over a cup of coffee to discuss “Guy Issues” (Yes, men do talk about “Guy Issues”. It’s a thing). Luckily, my mom had let me borrow her car, so I could stay late. The coffee shop closed up, we parted ways and I was on my way home. While I was still in the middle of town, I took a wrong turn. Apparently, one is not allowed to turn on that street, but seeing how late it was, you would not think there was any harm.

Of course, as you may have already guessed, there was a police officer waiting. He had set a sweet trap like the Venus fly trap, and it was time to cash in the prize. For those who know me intimately, you know I am an actor. This night I was going to put my best performance. I regretted not having a camera that would have been the best film I have ever starred in.

He stops me. I stop. He approaches my car, and asks me for my license. I hand it to him, but by now I am having ‘breathing problems’. I am in shock. He picks it up immediately (Clever guy. Probably thought I was acting, which I was). He asks me if I know what I have done wrong. I tell him that I have run a red light. He says that is not the issue. He says that I have taken a wrong turning.

I am like, “OK. Yes I accept I have made a mistake.”

“Would you like to go back and see the signal that shows that you have taken a wrong turn?”

“No…Sir”

“Why are you breathing heavily? Are you all right?"

“Yes…sir”

“May I enter your vehicle?”

“Yes…sir”

I forgot I locked the car when he tries to open the passenger door, so I fidget, but eventually open it. He steps in.

“OK, do you know where the police station is?

“Yes sir.”

“Drive.”

“OK.”

I drive, but he asks me to go around the street we are on. I already knew we were never going to reach a police station, not unless I became ‘clever’ and gave him a reason to. I start breathing heavier, and I looked scared, like I was about to die in the car. He asks me if I have bail money. I explain to him that I only had 50 shillings with me (Coffee is quite expensive these days).

He says, “You have done a mistake, and all you have is 50 shillings”

“Yes sir”

“How am I going to help you then?” (Bribe)

“I can call my mom to sort me out.”

“Call your mom then.”

I stop and then ask him if I should be talking on the phone while driving (Maybe he wanted to add another offence to get more money). He tells me to go ahead, I have stopped the car. I call my mom and say I have been arrested for taking a wrong turn. I start crying (I am still wondering how). I give him the phone to talk to my mom, and then I start holding my chest, while still breathing heavily. He panics, because he thinks I am going to die in the car, and he might have to explain what he was doing in the car.

I take deep breaths as a sign that I am calming down. My mom (my superhero) has already connected what is going on. She tells him I have panic attacks and may be unable to drive home. She explains that this is my first situation with a police officer and she asks him to forgive me. However, because he has a quota to meet (Corruption is well known to have so many levels) he can’t. He tells her to send what she can.

I am still breathing and tears are running down my eyes (Still a shocker). He asks me how old I am. I tell him and then he starts giving me a motivational speech.

“You have to be strong. A man your age is supposed to be strong in this life. Calm down.”

The more he is talking, the more the heavy breathing and crying continues. My mom sends the money through my mobile phone and he asks me to go and withdraw and bring it to him (He made me park where I could get the money. Clever? Maybe), but of course he needs me to be calm (If he only knew). I leave the car, and greet the guard and he shows me where I can take out the cash (I haven’t been this calm in the past 10 minutes. Thank you to the directors who have helped me build myself as an actor. I owe you a coffee.)

I go back, give him the money, and he continues with his motivational speech (At this moment I want to laugh. He is giving me advice? How?) He steps out of the car and beckons me to move along. It’s a red light, but he gives me passage (It was a long night for him. He almost killed someone without his gun.) Seeing how I have been given a passage, I pass the next red light and go home.

The moral of this story is to not shine a light on the police officer or my crazy acting skills. If he caught up to what I was doing, it would have backfired. He is a human being trying to survive this crazy world of ours. Maybe (Just speculating) he needs to make money for his family or to pay a debt or give his superiors. That is the way we have been programmed. A cop catches us on the wrong, we have to give money to be set free. I was ready to go to jail. I was on the wrong and I was ready to accept the consequences, even if it meant jail time. I deserved it.

However, we need to change. My mother did not feel right giving the money, but our    police officers have a bad reputation of going and producing ‘evidence’ of a more serious crime. This would mean more money and more time wasted. Such money has no blessings. If it had, then the police officers who had made it, would have left the force. It is also addictive, and they are putting their lives and careers at risk.

What if I was working as an undercover agent who is bent on catching crooked cops? What then? If he tried to squeal on his superiors, they would deny him. In the end he would be left alone and frustrated. Most likely lose his job, his family or spend time in jail.

I am not happy to have acted that way, but I had to. If I acted brave, courageous, and “I know my rights” it would have been a whole different story.

If you find yourself in such as situation, be calm and accept your mistake. Cooperate with the officer and ask for forgiveness. If he or she is unwilling to forgive you, find another alternative. Do not bribe them if it is not your principle, just ask them to take you to jail. They may add whatever it is they want to add on you, but never let go of your integrity.

To the police officer who ‘arrested’ me, if you are reading this, change. Change, because one day you will be caught. Nothing lasts forever. In the end you, your family and your life will suffer. Corruption money has no blessings. You are an officer of the law. If you catch someone making a mistake you can either forgive them or arrest them. It is your duty to uphold the law and protect the citizens and the people living in this fine country of ours. I am sorry if I scared you, but it was a survival tactic for the concrete jungle.

(I would like to apologize to all those having breathing conditions and panic attacks. I was not making fun of you. I know what I did and what I have written maybe appalling to you. Kindly, I ask for your forgiveness.)