Dear Editor,
Only recently, I penned a letter about the plight of vendors (who sell mainly water, juice and drinks) and asked that some sort of leniency be exercised or an agreement made between them and the City Council. Not a word was uttered and the City police continues to harass the vendors daily.
On Wednesday, the City police stopped three vendors who were about to start plying their trade, handcuffed them, and forced them to walk to the Regent Street Constabulary office. According to one of the vendors, they told him they were arresting him for ‘obstruction of traffic’. I find the treatment of these people, who are trying to make an honest living, disgusting and also amusing.
One of the vendors plies his trade between the 45 (Lamaha/Hospital) and 41 (Norton Street/South) bus routes, and his cart would be stationed at the side of a light post which is not a hindrance to any traffic on those routes. Meanwhile, all the routes have buses parked in all manner, causing traffic congestion.
At the Constabulary, the three vendors, who were meticulously searched, were ordered to post $8,000 bail. At no time were any charges written out nor were they asked to give any statement or told anything, except being ordered to sign the bail receipt and told that they have to attend court on October 18th. Upon hearing this, I assumed some sort of dishonesty as why would they assign a date so far away and not the same/next or a closer date? I hope someone shows a little interest in this matter because only recently the Chief Constable was speaking about the glorious plans for the Stabroek area but, instead, I am seeing serious ‘shakedowns’ and robberies being committed.
Finally, I’m always supportive of utilising local products and this season, there is a wide variety of fruits available. Through the strong determination and creativity of many young people, all the fruits are being used to produce drinks, some even blended/mixed together, and they are even making lime juice (swank) and adding green coloring to it and selling. Admirably, the various vendors could be seen with their white hats and clothes. They are worth praising because many people are supporting them, even tourists. I’ve had over eight juices for the week varied between cherry, sorrel, guava and passion fruit.
Why are the vendors being harassed instead of being helped? Had this occurred under the PPP/C, we would have been hearing of discrimination but now we are seeing brothers fighting down brothers. Such is ‘A good life for all.’ Take a walk at the Stabroek area, spend time and you will see drugs being utilised openly; touts cursing, tugging, pushing and abusing passengers; people being robbed in bright daylight and vendors crying because their honest hustle is too much for the City constables, even though many of them ask the vendors for money to go home when they are finished working.
Yours faithfully,
Sahadeo Bates
