Pintadoguy wrote today about an encounter of the policey kind. I really like policemen. They have a very very tough job and probably don't get enough of our respect. That said, I don't like being close to them and that's because they have guns. Guns just don't seem right in Australia. The only time I've even held one was on a farm and that makes sense to me. If you farm cattle or sheep then you kind of need a gun. Legs break, foxes do foxy things and when you get a craving for rabbit stew...
Anyhow, it got me thinking about my only truly close encounter with a gun. When I departed Shanghai a few years ago, I rushed through the airport and just made it in time. Gave my departure forms and passport to the guy who takes such things (not customs when you're departing is it? What is that guys job title??). He said nothing to me, just perused my documents and then asked for another exiting document which I was supposed to have because I'd been on a sponsored working visa. I didn't have it and was feeling a bit flustered as this was a man and it wasn't like in Japan where I was able to flirt with the female airport staff. He didn't say anything else, just muttered into his walkie talkie in Mandarin and motioned me through to stand at the side near a waiting airport cop.
Next thing I knew I was surrounded by 8 airport cops. One had his pistol drawn and by his side and another brandished a rifle. A fucking rifle!!!! I didn't even know what I'd done or what I was supposed to have. Visions of life in a Chinese jail began to play through my mind. I'd get mixed up with some crazy career criminals, be sprung from jail and become an enforcer for a loacl Shanghainese mobster. Oh, what could have been... None of them spoke a word of English to me. And yes, this intimidation tactic worked on me. Rifle. Pointed, remember. I phoned a friend in Shanghai and she spoke to them for me. Fortunately I had made a copy of this document, the same one that had been stolen by my employers only a week earlier. That's another story but you have to admire my Bond-like forsight in copying a document that I didn't trust my employers with. Yay Chris~! While all this was going on I was the subject of much curiosity for every foreigner wandering through the departure gates. All of them had that "He may be a crook, but that's tough luck to be busted in China" look on their faces. Anyhow, upon seeing the document I was waved on as though nothing had happened.
So not much love for guns.
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2 comments:
I believe their official name is the disembarkation form collector. There is really no point for their existence except to collect forms which they don't look at. Whoever is the head of the immigration department promised a friend that their kid will have a job in the department and thus the disembarkation form collector was born. And I'm not being cynical either.
Of the same ilk is the health form collector. They don't care whether or not you haave Hep C or AIDS even. All they do is collect the form and wave you on.
When you have that many people to create roles for obviously there is going to be a ridiculous amount of excess and inefficiency.
Did you ever walk into a restaurant in the mainland China where there are about 10 ladies meeting and greeting you at the front door. The ratio of waiters per customer is 3:1.
I've gone off the beaten track now I can't remember what the blog was about now. Sorry for the long wind 133.
now that's some comic book worthy storytelling/
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