Just another Statistic 1

Currently I am sitting at the Vhicle Theft Unit, waiting for my 125 Jainshi to be released. Having my scooter stollen, has just been one of many mishaps that I had over the past couple of years. However each and everyone was just another statistic in this country's long list of crimes. Till date I had just been lucky that all the break-ins happened whilst I was at work and that I did not wake up at night with a gun to my head, like some of my firends and colleagues.

Friday, 25th May as I arrived home, I noticed that my garage door had been forced open. I was half expecting this as 2 weeks prior, my garage door had been tampered with as well and I realised that the buglars had come for a 'recce'. By now such incidents do not even shock me. I noticed that my silver scooter was gone. Darn, clearly these guys as adament to take something from me, anything. By now I already know the procedure and go about it automatically.

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This is how my Friday night went:

16:20 - I call the Brixton Police station (which is two blocks from my house) no answer. I call every number I can find including the switchboard - No answer.

16:30 - I call the Flying Squad. Very bad line and report the incident. They take my contact numbers and give a reference number. Good so I have to wait for them to rock up.

17:45 - The Flying Squad has not arrived. I decide to go to Brixton Police station to report the theft.

17:55 - I get a trainee constable. "Ma'am there was a breakin at my property and my scooter was stollen, I need to report this". She then goes off in a myrad of questions with no pen or paper in sight. "Ma'am, should you not be taking notes" "No it depends if you just want to report it or open a case" "Ma'am a motorised vehicle namely a scooter was stollen, surely I must report it and get a case number, kindly get a piece of paper and pen and take down the notes as I am not going to repeat myself". "Only if we open a case" Ok so I went all the way to the Police station to just tell them about the robbery for their information!
Eventually she gets the necessary forms and we start filling them in. "Ma'am, was your property locked when you left?" "Yes" "So you live alone and there was no one at home and the garage was locked" (No I leave my garage door open with a big sign, please come and take my broken scooter)

19:00 - My home phone rings: "Hi how are you?" (Who the hell am I talking to) "Sorry who am I talking to" "Hello how are you?" "Hello who am I talking to?" "Hello how are you?" (by now I am beyond patience) "Who am I talking to?" "Okay you do not want to answer me, I must not ask how you are" (hell no, I have no clue who is talking, first identify yourself) "Well this is so-so from the police, has the police been to your house?" "No" "okay they will come" "No need, I went to Brixton Police to report the case" "Okay, so you do not need the Police anymore?" "No, it has been more than 2 hours already" "Thank you and goodbye"

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Getting the Scoot released is not a straight forward process either. First I had to come and identify the Scoot. Then I was told to go and get a RPC form. Spent an hour at the main Registration offices in down town, just to be told that I must go to Langlaagte Testing Grounds. Got there around 14:00 and was informed that the issueing counters closes at 11:00am. Now this is not general public knowledge. I need the RPC as I only have today to collect the scoot. I am then told that Captain Pasha issued the order that the counters must close at 11:00am. I go and see this Captain and he then tells me to go back to the counter and request the form on his instructions. So of I go again. Then the clerks tell me that Captain Pasha can not issue an order like that as he is from the Police and they are from Licensing. Okay so he can order them to close at 11:00 and that is good, but he can not request they work outside their hours? Back to Captain Pasha, he then goes off to Counter 10 and somehow manages to get me the RPC. With the appropriate document in my hands, I go back to the Vehicle Theft Unit in South Gate.

The Inspector working on my case is not in as his car had broken down and he is in Norwood, on the other side of town. Also he can't do anything with the RPC as the Scoot must still be cancelled on the eNatis system, and a hord of other paperwork need to be completed, before the RPC can be processed. Why he has not done this yet, I do not know. He suggest that I get here this morning at 8 as it is nearly a 3 hour process to get the scoot released. Great, he did not tell me this in the begining either, as I had made arrangements with friends to met me here at 8 so that we could trailer the scoot to the workshop.

So I arrive here at 8. The Inspector is not available. He is still in Norwood to have his broken car repaired. Blimey, could he have not told me to only come in at 9 or 10 knowing that he was going to be late! Every now and then someone would just come and tell me to please be patient as he is on his way. Two hours later, he has not arrived yet. Then we still need to start the 3 hour process, then I need to contact my friend (who would hopefulle still be available) to collect the scoot, take it to the workshop in Cresta, then still have to go back to work.

In the mean time, Brixton Police just called to inform me that the scoot had been found. No ways!! Also wanted to know if the Finger Print Specialist had been to my property to take finger prints. A month later, doubt that there will be any prints left.