An officer and a warning

I can still vividly remember that day that I was out for an errand.  It was after nine in the morning and the streets were quite busy.  It was at the intersection of Salahudin and Hamarain.  I crossed the lights ever so carefully as I always do when I am on the streets.  I am not concerned of police fines; I am actually afraid about my life.

I came from across Al Warqa Mall at Salahudin  going towards it while another Pinay was coming from Hamarain street going towards Al Warqa Mall.  I reached the stop light in front of Al Warqa barely a few seconds ahead of this other Pinay when I saw the police man called her.  I turned my head and kind of glanced to at least have an idea what was that all about  But I was inconveniently at a distance where I couldn't hear what was it all about.  I sort of waited for a while to see what will happen.  I was afraid for the other Pinay, because I didn't think she made any violations when she crossed the street.  I could say that I was a little nervous, because she's a kabayan and anything could develop out of that situation.

After a few minutes, the Pinay was told to go.  When she was in front of me, I started to walk with her and asked what that was all about.  Still a bit nervous, she said that the policeman told her that she crossed with the red lights still on.  And she said she did not.  I don't know who to believe and who was actually telling the truth though.  After that, we parted ways and I was also still a little nervous about the whole thing.

That told, it didn't matter to me who was telling the truth or not.  It was a lesson learned for me.  I began to get conscious of cops when I cross the streets of Dubai.  Because instead of feeling safer when they were around, I felt otherwise.  And as I approaced a pedestrian crossing after that incident, I trained myself to look with my peripheral vision to check if a cop is around the area.  If there was one, I would avoid him by walking down a little bit more towards another pedestrian crossing, where a there was no cop.

Had I been in Dubai these days and after reading this news yesterday, I would have been even more cautious.  Because this time, this is one sick guy posing as a cop just to lure someone in his car and rape her and rob her afterwards.  And he's not finished at that.  He even got the lady's mobile number and told her that he will call her when he needs her again.  To make things worse, when she reports to the police, he twisted the story saying that she is his girlfriend and that she was asking a huge amount of money from him.

The case is now being heard at the court.  But then again, whether the Pinay wins or looses, she has already been violated and nothing could change that.  Again, this could be another empty victory for an OFW who was just trying to make a living in another country.