Holding Cell

In The Gambia you must go to a local police station to apply for a driver’s license. I was told to go to the station near the beach and fish market in the resort area of Cape Point. This is just past the Internet café that advertises, “Probably one of the best Internet cafés in Gambia,” I love that sign. At least they’re being honest, but come on guys, sell yourselves a little!

I entered into the station immediately into a room that was divided in half with a holding cell on the right, and a long counter from the cage to the wall on the left. There were about five men in the cell, which extended all the way to the front wall. Upon entering I was standing right next to cell and the people locked up at the same time I was at the counter being helped. In my opinion this is an odd way to set up a room with a holding cell, however, the proximity to the front for the inmates could have some reason for which I just don’t know, and hopefully won’t find out. I asked a young man behind the counter, not wearing a uniform, if I could apply for a license. While answering me a man in the cell started trying to get my attention by whistling at me and saying hey. I was perplexed, I don’t like to ignore people and this young man was trying to get my attention. I decided to talk to the officer instead of trying to carry on two conversations at the same time, one with a policeman and one with a convict.

As I began to respond to the officer who was telling me I was at the wrong station the boy quickly shouted out, “Can you bring us some food?” Now that was a leap! I looked over at him, back to the man behind the counter, and back to the guy in the cell, and then I started to chuckle. I did a real life double take. It was quite confusing for a second, which gave way to humor as I thanked the man behind the counter and laughed as I ran out of there.

I wonder what he was in for, I wonder if the cop slammed a nightstick on the cell and told them to shut up when he was talking, like in a movie. I should have stopped and asked him to tell me his story, but I wanted to get the license done before we left for Casamance and getting anything done here takes five trips so I just had to leave and go to the other station, which had a line out the door for licenses so I gave up utterly defeated. We rode to Casamance anyway and I just used my American license the few times I was asked and everything was fine. On a hot day everything is fine if you just smile a lot and act like you don’t understand, which is good, because most of the time I don’t.

BBB