Loading...
The Citizen, 2001-07-04, Page 5Final Thought Gossip is mischievous, light and easy to raise, but grievous to bear and hard to get rid of. No g.,)ssip ever dies away entirely, if many people voice it: it too is a kind of divinity. — Hesiod THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2001. PAGE 5. Other Views Smile — you're on candid camera! Had a touch of excitement on my leisurely tootle into town this morning. Came over a hill and spotted a woman in a van parked' at the side of the road. She had the driver's window down and she was pointing a gun right at me. What did I do? Took my foot off the gas pedal, of course. The woman in the van was a Mountie and the Roscoe in her mitt was a radar gun. It's always a bit of a jolt when somebody points a gun your way. When it's a radar gun you have a situation that is both alarming and potentially expensive. Mind you, we've got it soft. Canadian cops are, pussycats in the speed trap department. If you want to be well and truly bushwhacked and shaken down by the Boys in Blue, head south, my friend. To U.S. Hwy. 301 in north central Florida, to be preise. It runs through two little whistle-stop burghs named Lawtey • and Waldo. Eleven hundred people call Waldo home and about 700 live in Lawtey. They're fishing villages, really — except the catch isn't fish - it's cars. Each year the two towns rake in over a half a million U.S. dollars in 'highway revenue'. How do they do it? Piracy, pure and simple. , The local constabulary sees to it that ridiculously low speed limit signs are posted around blind curves and in dips in the road. Then they park their unmarked cruisers on the shoulder a few hundred yards further down the road and wait for the fish to arrive. Pretty soon have a hard time keeping the population of / various countries in my head and, to be on the safe side, I frequently have_ to resort to my trusty Cambridge Factfinder. However there is one statistic I am not likely to forget for a while; this planet now has its second country with a population over a billion. India achieved that dubious distinction as a result of its recent census when it was determined that there were 1.05 billion people, more or less, living in 3,166, 829 sq. kilometers. This is about 180 million more since the last census taken 10 years ago, an increase which is about six times Canada's total population. To make some form of comparison, this works ,out to about 336 people per square km. Canada, on the other hand, has just over three, Anyone living in India may be 'excused for feeling a bit crowded at times. The most populous country is, of course, China, with 1.3 billion people but the density does not match that of India's since the country is considerably bigger, three times larger to be exact. While the birth rate of both countries is slowing down, China's is dropping much more rapidly than India's due to its advocacy of a one-baby-per-family policy. The result of all this is that, before the middle of this century, both countries will level off at about 1.5 billion each, with India having a slight edge. With such a steady increase in the population; most people looking for suitable work, any work for that matter, find it a monumental problem. The country's labour laws are somewhat archaic, making it difficult to get rid of employees already hired, no matter how incompetent or marginal. they're flagging down 'speeders' as fast as they can wave. The fines they levy are outrageously high and the amounts are whatever the cop feels like making up, because they often don't even bother with radar. Mind you, the drivers don't have to pay right away — they can always -go directly to jail. There's a knee-jerk justice of the peace who's always on call and more than willing to rubber stamp them right into the local slammer which will never be mistaken for the Ritz Carlton. The drivers - mostly tourists and frequently Canadian - usually cough up on the spot A spokesman for the American Automobile Association admits it's an unbelievable situation. "It's amazing these towns are allowed to exist in this day and age. The fines represent 75 per cent of Lawtey's total revenue and 50 per cent of Waldo's. These two towns are writing more tickets than Miami," Actually, there's a whole stretch of highway that extends up through Georgia and West Virginia where motorists run a speed trap gauntlet. They ought to rename it The Spanish Main. Raymond Canon The International Scene In addition, the civil service is also rather bloated and there are periodic efforts to reduce its size, although the results are usually considerably less than hoped for. Just to show you how long it takes to turn the yearly population around, the present rate of increase has dropped from 2.1 to 1.9 per cent. This has been brought about chiefly by a higher level of education, especially among women. In addition there is a steadily increasing access to information, generally through television which has reached remote villages all over the country. Literacy is also increasing from 52 per cent 10 years ago to about 65 per cent at the present time and again women are in the forefront of this increase. When you have population growth of such a magnitude, a government has its work cut out for it creating jobs for the millions that come on the labour market each year. Any such improvement has to come about partially from liberalization of labour markets and this brings about disruptions in its wake. India is a democracy, unlike China, and economic disruptions of almost any kind tend to result in instant public protests by those on the receiving end, which could even result in the government of the day being overthrown. You will understand, then, why the desire to But even legitimate speed traps - if that's not an oxymoron - are infuriating, because basically we're, getting fined for being dumb. We know we shouldn't speed, but there we are, fumbling through our wallet to find our driver's licence and registration while • we stammer out half-baked excuses to a clearly unamused officer of the law. Still, it is nice to know that once in awhile the jackboot is on the other foot. As in the 'case of two constables in the Lothian district of Scotland who were nailing motorists left and right with a radar gun recently, when suddenly the speed gauge on the gun went bananas, recording an approaching vehicle travelling in excess of 500 kilometres an hour. It was about that point that the RAF Harrier jet screamed over the cops at treetop level and disappeared. The radar gun was fried and the cops were ticked - even made an official complaint to the local Air Force base. Which is when they found out the experience could have been a lot uglier. An RAF spokesman explained that the Harrier's target-seeker had locked on to what it had interpreted as enemy radar. This should have triggered an automatic air-to-surface missile attack on the police cruiser and its hapless occupants. Lucky for-them the Harrier wasn't carrying missiles that day. I'm glad that, aside from a traumatized radar gun, no harm was done. But I still want to buy that pilot a beer. leave such a crowded country bringS about such desperate measures. Many of the refugees come under what can only be described as rather tragic conditions but now and again there is a bit of humour to be found which illustrates their desperation. I once was shown the document of an Indian "engineer" who attempted to get into Cant.da by using bogus documents for which, it turned out, he had paid the equivalent of $1,000. Among his "academic qualifications" was one that stated he had come in first in the university's annual three-legged race. He was part of a whole planeload which attempted to come into Canada by the back door, i.e. Halifax. This entry point was chosen because it was believed that immigration officials might be less vigilant there. Many of the other documents, by the way, were just as spurious. The officials were on their toes, however, and the whole planeload was sent back. The comments of the airline bringing these people and then having to take them back were not recorded. It is just as well; they were probably unprintable. Enjoy! Acouple of funny (not ha ha, but rather out of the ordinary) things happened to me the,other night. Summer is here and with it came Grade 8 graduations. Several were occurring in our area, literally at the same time', so our staff split up with cameras in hand. Of all the things we cover, the Grade 8 graduations are often approached with a bit of trepidation. Why? Let's just say that trying to pull together a group photo at a Grade 8 graduation can be a chaotic scene. Twenty, more or less, exuberant young people are not always easy to get corralled, let alone organize then keep still. Add to the equation a swarm of parents and grandparents excited by the milestone as well as by seeing their kids all cleaned up, and the situation can be distracting at best, frantic usually. But here is where the first funny thing happened. My assignment was a piece of cake. I arrived at the Brussels Legion at the appointed time and was barely, in the door when a parent asked me what I needed done then saw to it. The graduates came outside in what was, considering the situation, an orderly fashion. Then in just minutes they were lined up ready to go. As they waited for one peer who had not yet arrived they managed while still being typical teens, to behave in' a mannerly, mature manner. As I stood by, then later as I took their picture, I thought how proud their parents must be. They were a lovely group of kids, not just for the time and effort on appearance, but most importantly for their behaviour. Maybe I caught them in a weak moment, I don't know, but ifso, for that moment they were wonderful ambassadors of today's adolescents. • The task was completed with ease, and in record time esen with the wait, I was free to go. It was then, walkigg away that I exp .rienced the next funny thing. For a moment. for just a second, I actually thouglIt I ,might cry. Feeling rather! abashed I scoffed myself for the foolishness. But then again why not be emotional? Watching the milestones of a young life is a sentimental occasion. They measure not just accomplishments, but the passage of our own lives. Each day brings a child one step closer to becoming an adult, but that move on to high school is the first one that really sets them on a different path. They make decisions that will affect their lives. Their friendships will often be outside the familiar circles, their interests will broaden, their challenges will be new. And,• as if a wand has beer. waved, a bemused Mom and Dad are just a little startled to see a beautiful young woman, a handsome young man where once their baby had been. My first Grade 8 graduation to attend as a parent was way hack. If memory serves me correctly I remember feeling proud, excited especially for him, but also a little shell- shocked. How did this young mom get to the point of having a child in high school. And, now, almost 15 years to the day after he graduated from elementary school, illy son is still attending Grade 8 graduations, as a teacher. My husband and I too have attended many since that first. They have all been bittersweet. fond goodbyes to the past, full of pride and hope for the future. So I offer my congratulations to the 2001 grads and their families. Enjoy every step along the way. , What's a billion? 336 people per sq. km.