Dear Editor,
It’s a mad, mad world, and some Guyanese are making it even madder. I was talking to a taxi-driver about the ban on music in public transportation and this is what he had to say.
First he told me about the trickle-down effect, and my God he did make a lot of sense.
The people who sell CDs, especially the push-cart vendors are going to see a significant sales drop.
That means some of them are going to have to close shop or resort to some other means of living. Those that have families are going to find it tough to provide for them. So we can expect a few starving mouths.
Secondly, the many traffic police who are already in the habit of taking money from drivers for infringements are going to have to find another reason to do so. And please don’t tell me Mr Editor, the police don’t take bribes. I want to believe that they collect more monies than the court.
The people that sell and repair tape decks and CD decks are also going to find a drop in business; do I need to expand upon the other effects of this crazy idea? I think not.
However, let’s talk Carifesta. Guyana is hosting, the Caribbean is coming and the world is watching. I think that is what they are saying.
Believe me, half of the Caribbean has no idea what Carifesta is. I spoke to quite a few people from the islands and they have no idea what it is; I am speaking about both the old and the young. Could it be that we’re making a big deal of something that the Caribbean people are not really interested in.
Are we going to see people pour in by the thousands or just a contingent from each island?
I expect the taxi-drivers who can sing will do well; at least the tourists will have an idea what Carifesta is when they travel around.
Yours faithfully,
K Persaud
