There’s been a flurry of letters recently in the SCMP letters page offering valid insights into the pathetic policing of road users, ie car drivers.
A few letters highlight the indiscrimate use of horns by arseholes sitting static. A few more draw attention to illegal parking in many areas, and a very few bemoaning the chaffuers of the rich and famous sitting outside popular eateries regardless of the waiting restrictions and in one case mentioning that burly body guards have the audacity to block the pavement when their rich but thick bosses exit said eatery to enter their substitute penis of choice.
On most occasions, when there is implicit or explicit criticism of the police in the letters pages, a letter will materialise from the Police PR department, generally saying we operate without fear or favour. In this case…. nothing!
Before drawing a conclusion, a brief mention about the psycology of car ownership generally, and in Hong Kong specifically. Generally, car ownership is equated with freedom, the freedom of the road, the freedom of individual expression. In Hong Kong, it’s equated with self-esteem, face and a statement on behalf of the owner.
In practice, car ownership, serves to alienate the driver from his community. 10% of Hong Kong residents have a car. 700 000 cars, yet transport policy bends over for car owners, hence roads, bridges and more roads.
I am writing this in a bar, where outside there are two tattooed tripods, with personal traffic cones, who cordon off the space outside a popular restaurant for HK’s elite. There are no legally sanctioned parking restrictions here, but woe betide you if you try to park, they will not let you, they’ll threaten and intimidate you, and I’ve seen bowtie soon to be unemployed Tsang being dropped off here.
Welcome to the new chinese Hong Kong