Disclaimer: "Watching Grey's Anatomy doesn't make you a doctor any more than standing in a garage makes you an automobile."
Today's word of the day is PROFILING.
I'm a TV show junkie. I'd pick staying at home, watching reruns of The Good Wife over going to the cinema to see the latest installment of Fast & Furious anytime, anyday.
I particularly like legal/detective shows, mainly because of the psychological component. Plus you get to learn cool phrases like "unsub", "APB", "BOLO", etc
It was on one of such shows, Criminal Minds to be exact, that I picked up on the word "Profiling"
Profiling, according to Merriam Webster, is the act or process of learning information about someone based on what is already known.
In the legal system it is the act or practice of regarding particular people as more likely to commit crimes because of their appearance, race, etc.
Which is why it's more likely that the police will pull you over for a stop and search if you are a black male wearing skinny/ripped jeans with an afro.
It's also why when as a Nigerian, you go to the American embassy to obtain a visa, you're made to go through the most stringent protocols.
Now back to the police.
These days whenever I approach a police checkpoint, my heart races a little.
Maybe it's because just last month an army officer waved his gun at us in traffic because we dared to question him.
Or maybe it's because of that one time Road Safety officials detained our car on Ore road because they claimed the tires had expired. Meanwhile they watched as this rickety trailer with thick black smoke billowing from the exhaust and clearly overloaded with goods drove past us. Who road worthiness don epp?
The most recent happened as we were approaching Port Harcourt. We were asked to present the vehicle papers which were all complete or so we thought.
Next thing the officer asks for the "receipt of our license plate" because according to him, people have started stealing license plates.
Oya now, when we couldn't produce it he asked us to settle them with 5K or else the car would be detained. No amount of "Oga I beg" would make the young man change his mind so we just sat down quietly and waited for them to do their worst.
When he saw we weren't budging, his superior now came to make nice with us by offering to marry me. And that's how we were let go.
Moral of this story?
I don't know when they started asking for receipt of license plate but does anyone have an idea of the complete list of documents one is supposed to present to Road safety officials and the Police at check points to avoid future intimidation and harassment?
Thank you.
Today's word of the day is PROFILING.
I'm a TV show junkie. I'd pick staying at home, watching reruns of The Good Wife over going to the cinema to see the latest installment of Fast & Furious anytime, anyday.
I particularly like legal/detective shows, mainly because of the psychological component. Plus you get to learn cool phrases like "unsub", "APB", "BOLO", etc
It was on one of such shows, Criminal Minds to be exact, that I picked up on the word "Profiling"
Profiling, according to Merriam Webster, is the act or process of learning information about someone based on what is already known.
In the legal system it is the act or practice of regarding particular people as more likely to commit crimes because of their appearance, race, etc.
Which is why it's more likely that the police will pull you over for a stop and search if you are a black male wearing skinny/ripped jeans with an afro.
It's also why when as a Nigerian, you go to the American embassy to obtain a visa, you're made to go through the most stringent protocols.
Now back to the police.
These days whenever I approach a police checkpoint, my heart races a little.
Maybe it's because just last month an army officer waved his gun at us in traffic because we dared to question him.
Or maybe it's because of that one time Road Safety officials detained our car on Ore road because they claimed the tires had expired. Meanwhile they watched as this rickety trailer with thick black smoke billowing from the exhaust and clearly overloaded with goods drove past us. Who road worthiness don epp?
The most recent happened as we were approaching Port Harcourt. We were asked to present the vehicle papers which were all complete or so we thought.
Next thing the officer asks for the "receipt of our license plate" because according to him, people have started stealing license plates.
Oya now, when we couldn't produce it he asked us to settle them with 5K or else the car would be detained. No amount of "Oga I beg" would make the young man change his mind so we just sat down quietly and waited for them to do their worst.
When he saw we weren't budging, his superior now came to make nice with us by offering to marry me. And that's how we were let go.
Moral of this story?
I don't know when they started asking for receipt of license plate but does anyone have an idea of the complete list of documents one is supposed to present to Road safety officials and the Police at check points to avoid future intimidation and harassment?
Thank you.
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