Fraudulant police and other animals
Trip Start
May 25, 2005
1
212
283
Trip End
Ongoing
Pretoria,
South Africa
Sunday, July 8, 2007
'A what?' the police officer replied, his nose wrinkled as he tried to understand
"A crime. CRIME. I have been a victim of a crime and I would like to report it"
'Oh. Ok. Don't worry. Over 70% of people in South Africa have been a victime of a crime, so you are not the only one. Please take a seat.'
Surprisingly it only took just over one hour to file a report and open a case against the gangsters that have squandered my life savings. Considering my last adventure with the police in May 2006 lasted seven hours, this was indeed quick. Thank goodness they were back off strike.
I couldn't help feeling slightly frustrated every time the 'Inspector' who was helping me kept saying "Wow - what a lot of money to spend so quickly". I felt like replying that it had taken me nearly two years of soul destroying hard labour in a lab to earn it in the first place (perhaps more of a crime?), so yes, it was pretty gutting for it to have 'disappeared' so quickly.
However, at the end of the day it is only money.
In true police style, the computer was offline and the office doors for the photocopier locked - well, it was the weekend afterall. So, once again I left the station without a case number, and once again I took my statement out of the police station, back to my office to photocopy before walking back and handing it back in. At least this way, when they lose the case report, I will have a copy!!!
Upon leaving I had to ask to be 'let out' as the antiquated security doors had self-closed from the sentry post outside the gate. This was to stop people gaining access to the police station in times gone by. Now it involves a senior officer rolling his eyes, hoisting himself up 15 feet to fit through a gap on the ceiling without setting off his gun and pulling a leaver.
'Wait there', he yelled as the door opened and he began the return mid-air squeeze
'I need to put a rock in the right place or I'll be stuck in here too'
It was tempting to walk off and leave hime stranded. But it seems that when the crunch comes, I am a good citizen afterall, helping an officer in distress.
A few hours later as I sat in a local pub and watched Federer battle his way to winning the Wimbledon Tennis Championship a man decided he would keep sending me drinks. In turn I bought Guiness and watched the game, only to be approached later for my phone number.
Insistant that I should respond, he then scratched for words that were intended to cajole me into conversation;
" I used to be a police officer, but then I did something wrong and they threw me out"
My eyes firmly fixed on the TV screen I asked: 'What did you do?'
Smiling he replied, "Well, everyone likes money, no?"
Game over indeed.
Somethings are just too ironic.
