What life has taught me.

2010 was going to be a good year. It was to be my year. After a turbulent 2008 and an eventful 2009, the new year was going to herald all the joys that had been withheld by the previous years, or so i thought...

As a result of these hopes, spending the second night of the new year in jail was never what i had in mind to start off the new year, but then, all one can do is plan.

The day started off blissfully enough, a short run in the morning to get the body going, followed by an exceptionally long shower and a day taking things easy with a few choice Robert Ludlum and James Rollins novels to exercise the intellect.

Come early evening, the promise of a delightful company of good looking women and witty guys, coupled with good food was far too good to resist, so as i picked up my friend, the joys of the coming night were all i was thinking of.

The night in question passed pleasantly enough until after all the festivities had been observed and we were driving back home. In the midst of a three car convoy, on Glenwood Ave(a street frequently intersparsed by traffic lights), fartherest from my mind was to be pulled over and yelled at, "You have been drinking". Now provided i come from a country whose police force are the butt of many jokes because of rampant corruption, i have lived out of that system long enough to be instilled with the opinion that police do not misuse their powers and they are polite when carrying out their duties. My acceptance of this proves my naivite. Not the first time i've been pulled over, i was expecting the usual question of "you know why i pulled you over?" so i must say that this approach rankled me a bit.

After an encounter that left me shivering in the cold night air, drenched in soda that he had spilled all over me, in handcuffs that he kept telling me were for my own good and after taking and testing negative in two breathaliser tests, i was arrested for refusing to corporate with a public official, the charge been levied because i knew my opinions at that moment could get me n trouble, so i kept my mouth shut. For all the good that did me, i still had the unwanted pleasure of riding downtown in the back of a police car where i was processed completely, my immigration status was fully investigated, and a bail of $500 was set. This was in addition to the receipt of multiple tickets for speeding 20 miles above the speed limit, failing to signal, following too closely and failing to identify oneself.

For a couple of weeks after it happened i still sould not believe it had happened to me. I could not get myself to go out. when i eventually did i thought all eyes were on me. A jailbird. and i could not carry out my activities early enough so i could get back to my house, my room and my bed.

Even as i lived through a decade of arguably the worst civil war in the history of mankind, in a country where a minority of the human population was doing its best to take itself out of the human race and auditioning for roles in the beastly kingdom, i have never been this humiliated neither have i been a victim of such blatant injustice.

I grew up in a police family. My dad, various aunts and uncles, grandma, grandpa have at one time or another graced the rolls of the police force and whilst i do not extend any hate to those members of my own family i can say without any equivocation that i have never met a member of any police force that i have liked. I have now learnt that this feeling itself may be mutual.

After coming to terms with this, all i have to show for it are a crushed spirit, a displacement of any modicum of respect in the police force, soda stained blazers, vests and pants, bills running close to a thousand dollars, a waste of five hours in a driver's safety class and a first hand experience of what the jail in downtown raleigh looks like and if anything, it has taught me that some people have the best idea of what to do in the USA. Blend into the society, exploit all the resources made available to you and at the earliest opportunity when you can maintain a better than average standard of living back in your home country, get the hell out of here.