Just went through a really mind-boggling experience with a totally arrogant police outrider with a massive superiority complex. He was escorting, if I'm not mistaken, the Penang Governor from USM and I was so 'fortunate' to be using the same road as him along Bukit Gambier.
I was at the traffic lights outside the USM Bukit Gambier Gate when suddenly, I heard sirens blaring behind me. Now then, which dignitary could it be? Who gives a damn anyway? After some police outriders zoomed to the middle of the road intersection stopping traffic from all directions, we were asked to move although the light was still red so that we could make way for the motorcade to pass. I was thinking that it was the King and/or Queen (who is the Chancellor of USM) that were in the motorcade since they seem to be in such a rush and/or of importance that they must pass through immediately.
I just kept moving ahead with one outrider right in front of me. The motorcade was moving really very slow and was way,way, way behind. There were hardly any cars on the road at the time (none in fact) and the lanes were practically empty. I kept on the left lane all the time allowing the motorcade to pass on the right if and when it chooses to. I continued driving normally and as I approached the hill I obviously accelerated to gain momentum like what any sane and good driver would do. Considering that my car is a SLK and not some petrol-guzzling SUV or 4WD, I definitely had to accelerate to gain momentum or I might face problems halfway up the hill.
Then suddenly when I was halfway up the hill, the outrider in front of me not only started to flag me down to the side of the road but forcefully caused my car to stop abruptly! What? It's not good enough that I was already on the left lane struggling to climb the hill and not speeding in anyway, leaving such a big space on the right lane for the motorcade to pass? It's not good enough that I've slowed down after you started to flag me that you had to snarl at me and force me to bring my car to a total stop? He must be out of his mind! May I know what crime I committed to deserve such treatment? Even if I was truly doing something wrong by not stopping my car, why didn't he stop me earlier? Why become such an ass on the hill and suddenly decide to push my car off the road? His actions were just plain rude and utterly incomprehensible! If there were other vehicles around, I would understand the need to bring my car to a stop but there were no other vehicles on the road AT ALL!!! Incredible!
I don't recall learning in driving school that I must move aside for royalty or VVIPs to pass through, let alone come to a total stop. However, it has now become a norm for Malaysian road users to move aside for their motorcade to pass. It doesn't help when they choose to ply the roads that are already experiencing heavy traffic and choose to travel at peak hours. How do you expect cars to move aside when there's no room to move aside to? How considerate then of a police outrider to majestically and authoritatively demand that you make way IMMEDIATELY by whatever means possible or impossible in such a situation? Even worse, they act like road bullies by 'tapping ever so softly' on your car body if you are slow in moving aside your car even when there's no way you could move aside. It's silly and outright disgusting that we allow them to act this way towards us.
If it was the ambulance or fire engine or some other civil defence vehicles, I can see the rationale in needing to let them through first. However, I do not see why is it so important for such VVIPs to be given such a privilege. The only VVIPs I feel warrants such a privilege would be the Prime Minister and the King. They are the only people that are of high enough standing and importance for us not to get in their way. They are the only people critical enough to the nation that would need such protection of not being exposed to security threats by being held up in such situations. The rest can wait in line for all I care and experience the problems of the ordinary people that put them into office and pay them with our tax money and start serving us better by eleviating the simple problems that we face each and everyday. How would they know how bad a problem is unless they experience for themselves? How can they solve these problems if they do not know the extent of the problems? How can they find a solution if they do not see the problems for themselves and find the right remedies?
I truly do not understand. How is it that the Governor's time is any more important than ours? What task is so crucial that needs his immediate attention that will rock the foundations of this nation and so damaging to the nation's economy if he does not attend to it immediately that his outriders must bully the other road users in such a manner? In fact, he is a public servant receiving allowance made available through taxes that we pay! We definitely did not pay him or the other VVIPs to push us around on the roads! Even if it was for security reasons, what do we lose anyway if he was assasinated? Let's face it. The only impact that we will feel is if either the Prime Minister or the King were to be assasinated and would warrant such protection. I mean, who cares if the Works Minister (for example) was kidnapped? Even if it was the Prime Minister or the King, how is it that slowing down our cars is not enough and we must bring our cars to a stop?
I truly respect the ministers and other public servants of high office from other countries. Instead of travelling in a motorcade, they choose to use the public transport instead. Even when they need to use their official cars, they choose not to use police escorts. When the need of police escorts do arise, they make it as least inconvenient to the public as possible.
I've seen the arrogance and bullying ways of these police outriders way too many times for this to be just a one-off incident. Make no mistake - this is NOT an isolated event! Something must seriously be done to improve the disgraceful situation. I'm sure every road user is willing to give way but we definitely do not appreciate being treated in such manner. It's time they get their act together!
I was at the traffic lights outside the USM Bukit Gambier Gate when suddenly, I heard sirens blaring behind me. Now then, which dignitary could it be? Who gives a damn anyway? After some police outriders zoomed to the middle of the road intersection stopping traffic from all directions, we were asked to move although the light was still red so that we could make way for the motorcade to pass. I was thinking that it was the King and/or Queen (who is the Chancellor of USM) that were in the motorcade since they seem to be in such a rush and/or of importance that they must pass through immediately.
I just kept moving ahead with one outrider right in front of me. The motorcade was moving really very slow and was way,way, way behind. There were hardly any cars on the road at the time (none in fact) and the lanes were practically empty. I kept on the left lane all the time allowing the motorcade to pass on the right if and when it chooses to. I continued driving normally and as I approached the hill I obviously accelerated to gain momentum like what any sane and good driver would do. Considering that my car is a SLK and not some petrol-guzzling SUV or 4WD, I definitely had to accelerate to gain momentum or I might face problems halfway up the hill.
Then suddenly when I was halfway up the hill, the outrider in front of me not only started to flag me down to the side of the road but forcefully caused my car to stop abruptly! What? It's not good enough that I was already on the left lane struggling to climb the hill and not speeding in anyway, leaving such a big space on the right lane for the motorcade to pass? It's not good enough that I've slowed down after you started to flag me that you had to snarl at me and force me to bring my car to a total stop? He must be out of his mind! May I know what crime I committed to deserve such treatment? Even if I was truly doing something wrong by not stopping my car, why didn't he stop me earlier? Why become such an ass on the hill and suddenly decide to push my car off the road? His actions were just plain rude and utterly incomprehensible! If there were other vehicles around, I would understand the need to bring my car to a stop but there were no other vehicles on the road AT ALL!!! Incredible!
I don't recall learning in driving school that I must move aside for royalty or VVIPs to pass through, let alone come to a total stop. However, it has now become a norm for Malaysian road users to move aside for their motorcade to pass. It doesn't help when they choose to ply the roads that are already experiencing heavy traffic and choose to travel at peak hours. How do you expect cars to move aside when there's no room to move aside to? How considerate then of a police outrider to majestically and authoritatively demand that you make way IMMEDIATELY by whatever means possible or impossible in such a situation? Even worse, they act like road bullies by 'tapping ever so softly' on your car body if you are slow in moving aside your car even when there's no way you could move aside. It's silly and outright disgusting that we allow them to act this way towards us.
If it was the ambulance or fire engine or some other civil defence vehicles, I can see the rationale in needing to let them through first. However, I do not see why is it so important for such VVIPs to be given such a privilege. The only VVIPs I feel warrants such a privilege would be the Prime Minister and the King. They are the only people that are of high enough standing and importance for us not to get in their way. They are the only people critical enough to the nation that would need such protection of not being exposed to security threats by being held up in such situations. The rest can wait in line for all I care and experience the problems of the ordinary people that put them into office and pay them with our tax money and start serving us better by eleviating the simple problems that we face each and everyday. How would they know how bad a problem is unless they experience for themselves? How can they solve these problems if they do not know the extent of the problems? How can they find a solution if they do not see the problems for themselves and find the right remedies?
I truly do not understand. How is it that the Governor's time is any more important than ours? What task is so crucial that needs his immediate attention that will rock the foundations of this nation and so damaging to the nation's economy if he does not attend to it immediately that his outriders must bully the other road users in such a manner? In fact, he is a public servant receiving allowance made available through taxes that we pay! We definitely did not pay him or the other VVIPs to push us around on the roads! Even if it was for security reasons, what do we lose anyway if he was assasinated? Let's face it. The only impact that we will feel is if either the Prime Minister or the King were to be assasinated and would warrant such protection. I mean, who cares if the Works Minister (for example) was kidnapped? Even if it was the Prime Minister or the King, how is it that slowing down our cars is not enough and we must bring our cars to a stop?
I truly respect the ministers and other public servants of high office from other countries. Instead of travelling in a motorcade, they choose to use the public transport instead. Even when they need to use their official cars, they choose not to use police escorts. When the need of police escorts do arise, they make it as least inconvenient to the public as possible.
I've seen the arrogance and bullying ways of these police outriders way too many times for this to be just a one-off incident. Make no mistake - this is NOT an isolated event! Something must seriously be done to improve the disgraceful situation. I'm sure every road user is willing to give way but we definitely do not appreciate being treated in such manner. It's time they get their act together!
maybe he's rushing off to the loo...diarrhoea perhaps..?
ReplyDeletewhat the ****???
ReplyDeletei could care less if his balls were going to drop off...nothing can justify us being treated like shit!
ReplyDeletethink! would he even listen or consider that excuse if we told him that's why we were caught breaking the law? so what makes them so special that they are above the law and can do what they like?
they must remember that their top priority is to protect us and they are ultimately answerable to us. they always forget that they are serving us, not the other way around.