Travellin' Time

Travellin' Time is a segment of Take Yuh Time, An' Do Fast! that deals with issues and stories people face when taking public transport in Trinidad and Tobago.




SITUATION: LIKE SARDINE IN A PAN


A PTSC bus is loading up one evening during peek hours at the Arima bus stand. The bus is filled and the driver starts taking more passengers, standing room only. Many passengers walk in and gather at the front of the bus. The driver urges them to walk down further into the bus but few of them move.


"Oh gosh, if it was alyuh standing up out dey alyuh would'a want ah squeeze to go home, move down nah man," a male passenger standing in the bus shouts.


The passengers move down a bit more allowing more people to come in, until finally another standing passenger shouts, "look, drive, drive, it cyah hol nobody else in here yuh know?"


"What yuh mean it have no more room?" the first passenger asks, "look at how much space it have inside the back ah the bus."


"Well, you go down in the back, dey nah!" the second passenger tells him.


"People doh like to go quite down in the back," an elderly lady adds, "when yuh press the bell the driver doesn't always want to open the back door and next thing yuh taking too long to come out through all them people and he drive off, I ain' able wid that!"


Other passengers nod and say that has happened many times when the bus marshal is not present.


"And is because it have so much people in the bus and the driver does cyah see the back good that that does happen," the second passenger continues, "yuh cyah be fulling up the bus ram cram so!"


"If it was you outside I sure you would'a want the driver to make a lil' space for you! You know how long a next bus does take to come?" the first passenger persists.


"Me? Stand up outside what bus? I would'a just go and take a car."


"Well, I wish you would'a stay outside and take yuh car, and give yuh space to somebody who cyah afford to take a car, yes," the first passenger says.


The two passengers are joined by others and they continue to go back and forth up the road, until finally they stop and the bus gets quiet again.


Well, fellow Trinbagonians? What do you think? Should the driver try to take as many people as possible given the length of time the next bus will roll in or should he take into consideration the comfort and even the safety of the people already in the bus?

Leh meh hear yuh nah?!

Trinbagonian Baby

Real Issues, Real Trinidad and Tobago, In Real-time.

Drugged Up and Down

8th February 2012


Situation: The former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago goes for his regular heart and overall check-up to Cuba where his doctors reside and returns with a clean bill of health. Mere days after he surfers a stroke and is admitted to hospital. How can this be? His family decides to do their own investigation and soon his sister Dr. Petronella Manning-Alleyne discovers that the value of the dosage in the drug he was taking to prevent the said stroke is low compared to other countries where the health standard is higher and that the T&T government seems to be sourcing cheap drugs from countries with low health standards. Minister of Health Fuad Khan rebuts by saying that Dr. Manning-Alleyne is wrong to make such a blanket statement without prior thorough research of all the drugs used in the T&T market.



Okay, first let me say this. I read both articles. I also read the comments attached to each and it seems only PPP's supporters read the Guardian. Whoy! Anyway, I must, must, MUST state that not once did Mrs. Petronella-Alleyne say that ALL of T&T's drugs were substandard as the minister and others are making it out to be. If she did I do agree with Dr. Fuad Khan that she would have been clearly out-of-line. However, hers was a clear case of if one can be so, so can the others, especially if they all come from the same place, check the others to make sure.


Whether or not the former PNM government got drugs from the same suppliers, I don't know, and frankly given the drastic change of suppliers since the PPP's take over, I highly doubt that they still have the same suppliers for public medication. So for some who make the claim that this is a reflection of the shortcomings of Mr. Manning's former administration and why it is that she didn't say something then, until we get proof that the PNM were also procuring drugs from the same people, hold it down.


Maybe she didn't know about the drugs, maybe she did, (frankly I think she did, steups, the man on the street know that) but it doesn't matter. What matters is that if any drug is found to be below the standard, that is being distributed within the public health system, even one, and I believe she confirmed that the particular dose that Mr. Manning was taking was low compared to what it was supposed to be, it should be investigated, even if it is just to prove that the other drugs are fine.


Why is the Health Minister taking the defensive? That is my question. If it is that you think Dr. Manning-Alleyne is wrong then PROVE IT! Show that the drugs being provided to the public by your ministry is anything but sub-standard and that the public is safe in depending on it. Bring your facts and tell the doctor-lady to move from here with she ONE out-a-timing dose!


The very fact that he is acting so defensive says something. I don't know what but if some of the comments on the Express article is true then his response would make all the sense in the world. According to my favourite commenter watch_womantt55, 'what is more important to you the lives of citizens or your clan?' I'm not hinting to know what 'clan' she's talking about but she made good sense. It is common knowledge that drugs from the public system are not always good. That is why people go for private prescriptions all the time. It's not a secret. Most of the people I know who take CDAP only take it when they are absolutely scruntin' and can't afford 'proper' drugs because it is known that these government subsidised drugs don't always work and many times leave people with unwanted side affects.


I applaud Mr. Manning for being brave enough to trust his health to the drugs in the public health system especially with such a serious illness as heart problems and ESPECIALLY when he is one of the few that can afford not to depend on the subsidised drugs. He really is a true lover of his country's systems to support it in all aspects.


I've put links to both articles below for your perusal and as usual feel free to hit 'Take Yuh Time, An Do' Fast!' on facebook or comment below.


Is Mr. Khan right in his stance on the issue or should we dare him to show us the medication in his home cabinet and see if he depends on ministry supplied drugs and start a long awaited investigation into the matter?
And is Dr. Manning-Alleyne right in bringing the issue to light or should she stop up her hypocritical pipe and answer as to why she's only waiting until now when the issue hits home to say something?

Leh meh hear yuh nah?!

Trinbagonian Baby

Dealing with real, everyday issues in Trinidad and Tobago today.

Links:

Manning’s sister questions quality of heart drugs

http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2012-02-06/manning%E2%80%99s-sister-questions-quality-heart-drugs

Don't question quality of drugs without proper probe

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Don_t_question_quality_of_drugs_without_proper_probe-138903874.html

Travellin' Time

Travellin' Time is a segment of Take Yuh Time, An' Do Fast! that deals with issues and stories people face when taking public transport in Trinidad and Tobago.


So, due to certain copyright issues I've changed the name of the 'Taxi Talk' segment to 'Travellin' Time'. Fits better anyway for the Trinbago vernacular.


SITUATION: WHO REALLY NEED THE SLAP?

A woman jumps into a taxi with a man to the back and a lady to the front. The car is evidently waiting to pick up a last passenger when an old frail man crosses the road and begins to advance towards the car to enter. As the man slowly reaches for the door the driver says to him.
"Nah, pappy, I ain' going up."
"What?" the old man asks through the window.
"I say I ain' taking you!" the driver repeats.
"Look, f**k you, yes!" the old man says to him and limps off to another car. As the old man walks to the next taxi, he is turned down by each of them in turn until finally he gets into one.
The male passenger to the back of the first car finally asks the driver.
"Buh, wha' goin on drive? How alyuh treatin' daddy so?"
"Nah," the driver answers, "if it only had man in the car I woulda take a chance but he like to feel up woman and thing."
(Say what?)
"That old man?" the woman to the front asks.
"Yeah, he sit down in the back dey ah time, pinching up a school girl breast and she start to cry easy, easy. I ain' even know until the girl stop out. And I wondering why she come out before she school entrance. Is one ah the passengers in the back make him out. I say not me picking up he again."
As the conversation continues, the passengers get to realise that on the taxi stand he is a known molester of women in taxis and it has happened more than once with several drivers.
The two ladies and the driver seem to agree but the man to the back thinks they are being a bit harsh.
"Look how old the man is. He could barely walk good, I fine alyuh shouldn't leave him standing up on the stand so long," the male passenger adds.
"I doh care who vex," the driver says, "I ain' hitting him, I ain' hurting him but I not encouraging them thing in my car."
"The driver trying to look out for the young ladies an them, sir," the older lady says to the man at the back, "if it was your daughter travellin' with a man like that, yuh would want somebody to seek her interest for you!"



Well, fellow Trinbagonians? What do you think? Are the drivers right in what they are doing or do they need to show a little more compassion to a frail, albeit fresh, old man?

Leh meh hear yuh nah?!

Trinbagonian Baby

Real Issues, Real Trinidad and Tobago, In Real-time.

New Year, New Bacchanal!

Having considered all the time I didn't post anything despite the many chances to wreck havoc and feast on the tender morsels that is the general Trinbagonian scene, I resolved to write more this year and amuse you all with my anecdotes. Not just amusement of course, serious issues demand serious thought and I might just touch on a few items last year that I didn't get the chance to comment on.

Then again, why bother about water under the bridge...sigh.

This year I've also decided to introduce two segments instead bunching everything into one.

Taxi Talk will debut this Tuesday and every Tuesday after or as often as I feel
(heh, heh..)

And the segment Random Chupidness will debut on Friday and every Friday after that or as often as I wish too as well.

Given the fact that my posts tend to be about oh, so, serious topics, I think adding a few lively pieces will  keep the stress away!

Tomorow:  ,...........................................