Mohammed Ahmed Al-Hassani
Okaz
I do not want to generalize and be unfair. However, I often notice traffic police located in main thoroughfares who appear to be totally uninterested in all of the traffic mayhem that surrounds them. These officers are supposed to be there to manage traffic and record violations. Yet, they usually appear oblivious to what is happening around them and are often seen talking on their cell phones, in deep conversations that are most likely not related to the work that they are meant to be doing.
I once contemplated parking my vehicle and approaching a policeman to inform him of the surrounding traffic chaos that was his responsibility to manage. However, I feared his reaction and worried that I might be interrupting an important phone call. I, therefore, opted to remain seated in my car like all of those drivers in the cars around me and to continue to attempt to navigate through the traffic jam.
I am not calling for all traffic policemen to stop using their cell phones for personal use when at work. They might need to make important telephone calls just like other people who work in other types of jobs. However, I would like to create awareness among those who use their mobiles when at work. They should realize the necessity of limiting their calls to emergencies and should only answer important calls that cannot be deferred until later. Furthermore, they should resume work as soon as the call is finished.
There should be police supervisors who monitor traffic officers who allow the chaos on our roads to continue, which sometimes even results in drivers leaving their cars to fight with each other because each person thinks that he is right. The nation’s traffic police authorities must address this problem because the traffic problem in the Kingdom’s major cities is becoming worse each day.
