In my column last week, I dealt with what I see as the deterioration in standards in the media.
That is just one of several things that have annoyed me in recent times.
I also get very upset every time I hear politicians publicly justifying the need for PH drivers in Trinidad and Tobago.
It is not that I do not believe that PH drivers play an important role in the transportation system of the country.
My problem, however, is the fact that using your private car for hire is against the law.
Everyone in authority, however, seems to have turned a blind eye to this illegal practice.
Ministers of one former Government actually tried to justify the practice by indicating that there are areas in the country which are only serviced by these PH drivers and that the public would be tremendously inconvenienced if action were to be taken against them.
Yet another former Government even commenced negotiations with the “PH Drivers’ Association” with respect to providing a stand from which they could ply their trade.
What absolute B.S.
No wonder we are such a lawless society!
If something is against the law, then the law must be upheld and offenders must be prosecuted with the same vigour as those who contravene any other law.
The fact that the role of the PH driver remains so critical, particularly in rural areas, speaks volumes about the failure of successive Governments to provide a proper public transportation system.
The solution is simple.
If these PH drivers’ services are so critical to national transportation, then change the law.
But Government after Government continues to pussyfoot on the issue while the law making the practice illegal remains on the statutes and the offenders continue to ply their trade with impunity.
Heaven help us all!
Yet another thing that upsets me to the core is the fact that so many Trinidadians go abroad and return with foreign accents.
I know that some people will tell me that it is natural for this to happen.
My reply to them is that that is utter nonsense.
I know so many Trinidadians who have lived in the United States for years and still retain their beautiful Trinidadian accents.
My wife happens to be one of those. She lived in the United States for 27 years and has never lost her Trini accent.
There is a joke that says that things are so bad that some people just need to walk in front of the US Embassy on Marli Street in Port-of-Spain and their accent changes.
By the way, have you ever heard of any Barbadian losing that strong “Bajan” accent?
It is really sad how American we have become in T&T.
Let me make it clear that I believe that there are many great things that come out of America but we only seem to adopt the worst that the USA has to offer.
Our television screens are bombarded with The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful.
Our heroes are the Kardashians, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton and we follow their lives as if our own depend on these spoilt rich brats.
On radio and television, we keep hearing many of the announcers with false American accents.
They seem to believe that that is how they must speak if they want to be effective.
I also get very annoyed every time I see young men adopting this new style of dress with their pants hanging below their bottoms and their underwear showing.
I wonder who ever told them that anyone wanted to see their behinds.
I am advised (I cannot vouch for the veracity, however, and it is not important enough for me to make the time and effort to check) that the style originated in the prisons in the United States when a prisoner would walk around the prison yard with his pants worn in that manner to indicate that he was available for sex with the other prisoners.
If that is true, I wonder how many of our young people know that this is the case.
Perhaps if it is brought to their attention, we might just be lucky enough to see an end to this disgusting practice.
Who knows? I can forever live in hope, can’t I?
I suppose, however, that in the meantime I will just have to put my tail between my legs and accept that that is what has become of our society.
Things That Annoy Me
By Neil Giuseppi
In my column last week, I dealt with what I see as the deterioration in standards in the media.
That is just one of several things that have annoyed me in recent times.
I also get very upset every time I hear politicians publicly justifying the need for PH drivers in Trinidad and Tobago.
It is not that I do not believe that PH drivers play an important role in the transportation system of the country.
My problem, however, is the fact that using your private car for hire is against the law.
Everyone in authority, however, seems to have turned a blind eye to this illegal practice.
Ministers of one former Government actually tried to justify the practice by indicating that there are areas in the country which are only serviced by these PH drivers and that the public would be tremendously inconvenienced if action were to be taken against them.
Yet another former Government even commenced negotiations with the “PH Drivers’ Association” with respect to providing a stand from which they could ply their trade.
What absolute B.S.
No wonder we are such a lawless society!
If something is against the law, then the law must be upheld and offenders must be prosecuted with the same vigour as those who contravene any other law.
The fact that the role of the PH driver remains so critical, particularly in rural areas, speaks volumes about the failure of successive Governments to provide a proper public transportation system.
The solution is simple.
If these PH drivers’ services are so critical to national transportation, then change the law.
But Government after Government continues to pussyfoot on the issue while the law making the practice illegal remains on the statutes and the offenders continue to ply their trade with impunity.
Heaven help us all!
Yet another thing that upsets me to the core is the fact that so many Trinidadians go abroad and return with foreign accents.
I know that some people will tell me that it is natural for this to happen.
My reply to them is that that is utter nonsense.
I know so many Trinidadians who have lived in the United States for years and still retain their beautiful Trinidadian accents.
My wife happens to be one of those. She lived in the United States for 27 years and has never lost her Trini accent.
There is a joke that says that things are so bad that some people just need to walk in front of the US Embassy on Marli Street in Port-of-Spain and their accent changes.
By the way, have you ever heard of any Barbadian losing that strong “Bajan” accent?
It is really sad how American we have become in T&T.
Let me make it clear that I believe that there are many great things that come out of America but we only seem to adopt the worst that the USA has to offer.
Our television screens are bombarded with The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful.
Our heroes are the Kardashians, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton and we follow their lives as if our own depend on these spoilt rich brats.
On radio and television, we keep hearing many of the announcers with false American accents.
They seem to believe that that is how they must speak if they want to be effective.
I also get very annoyed every time I see young men adopting this new style of dress with their pants hanging below their bottoms and their underwear showing.
I wonder who ever told them that anyone wanted to see their behinds.
I am advised (I cannot vouch for the veracity, however, and it is not important enough for me to make the time and effort to check) that the style originated in the prisons in the United States when a prisoner would walk around the prison yard with his pants worn in that manner to indicate that he was available for sex with the other prisoners.
If that is true, I wonder how many of our young people know that this is the case.
Perhaps if it is brought to their attention, we might just be lucky enough to see an end to this disgusting practice.
Who knows? I can forever live in hope, can’t I?
I suppose, however, that in the meantime I will just have to put my tail between my legs and accept that that is what has become of our society.