Mutated into an uncivilised society

On October 12, 2005 I left Port-of-Spain and proceeded to St Augustine where I take part in certain post-graduate courses.

I stopped off at RBTT St Augustine and as it began to rain I took a taxi to the tunnel that leads to the main campus. By the time I entered the tunnel the rain was falling so heavily that I had to shelter on the tunnel pavement. There was nowhere else to go.

In a matter of minutes the roadway in the tunnel was covered with 3-4 inches of water reaching almost up to the pavement.

As I stood there the drivers of vehicles travelling towards the University entrance, even though they were well aware of the flooded condition of the roadway proceeded to speed through the water so that the splashed water covered and soaked both me and the other pedestrians from head to toe.

I was trapped in the tunnel for over ten minutes and during the time just two of the many vehicles slowed down to avoid splashing us. Realising that I was soaked from head to toe I decided to walk through the torrential rain to the Department of Education, my destination.

Later, as the rain ceased, I went across to the Campus bookstore and bought a UWI sports jersey, which I used to replace my water drenched shirt.

Unfortunately, from 3.30 pm until I arrived home at 8 pm the rest of my outfit, my socks and shoes remained water soaked.

The point I am making is that I am sure many of the drivers entering the University were either lecturers, students or university personnel whom one would expect should know better than to accelerate through flood water so as to cause the trapped pedestrians to be drenched. After all, aren’t these people supposed to be a better-educated and a better "class" of persons. No one expects them to act like uncivilised animals.

I kept wondering if we have now developed a mindset that makes us act so aggressively stupidly and selfishly, are we not part of the cause of the increasing crime problem?

It is hypocritical for us to call for draconian measures to deal with those criminal elements when our behaviour is not that much different from the perpetrators of the crimes of which we complain.

Is it not the same lack of care and irresponsible behaviour that are being demonstrated both by those uncouth drivers and the criminal elements in our society?

M HOTIN

St James