Reaching Africa’s Children Blog - by Amy Farley

I really don’t know what is about me and Police. I am wondering if I have a target on my forehead that says “Please stop me and give me a ticket!”. I have gotten use to being stopped in the states-but now-for some reason-the Senegalese police love to stop me too! Seriously, what is the deal! : )

Before I say anything else you have to know that traffic in Senegal is INSANE and pretty much there are no rules.

Two weeks ago I made a road trip up north about 4 hours from where I live in Senegal. An hour into my trip I was stopped by the police in a town called Rufisque. The officer walked to my vehicle and told me I did not respect the traffic rules and asked for my license and carte de gris (a very important card that basically shows ownership of the vehicle). I sat and waited while he walked away for a few minutes. When he returned he handed me my license and a ticket telling me I must go to the police station and pay right now…then he walked away. I started to worry because he still had my carte de gris. After about 15 minutes had passed I got out of my vehicle and walked over to the policeman (they are always on foot-usually directing traffic) and said, “You have my carte-I want it back-give it to me”. He said, “No…you go pay the ticket, bring back the receipt and I will give it to you.” I told him I did not know where the station was and I needed him to go with me. He refused. I then told him I did not trust him and I would not leave as long as he had my carte. That was probably the wrong thing to say because he was very offended and pointed to his badge saying he was the police of Senegal!

I decided I would just “wait him out”. I walked over to my STL truck, opened my tailgate, and sat down while drinking my bottle of water. I wanted to make sure he knew I was in no rush-I would sit there all day if that is what it took. I sat for about 20 minutes when the officer comes to me again and argues with me. Then he walks away saying I could sit there until tomorrow-he didn’t care! At that point, I knew I had gotten to him. : ) After another 20 minutes he comes back over to me and says “Isn’t the heat getting to you?” I smiled and said, “No, I am from Texas-I’m use to the heat”. He started to become a little friendlier and talked with me for a moment about where I was from then he walked away again. THEN, 15 minutes later he comes back to me and says, “Madame, why are you so difficult?” I laughed and said, “I’m not difficult, you are difficult!” and then reluctantly he agreed to go the station with me.

While in the car, he realized I was being honest about not knowing where to go because he had to direct me the entire way (which really was not far). Once we arrived at the station he introduced me to an older man and said to me “this is the boss man-he is in charge”. Then he proceeded to tell the man that I was a very difficult women. I interrupted him and said “No, No, No…I am not difficult he is difficult. He gave me a ticket and I did nothing wrong. This is not just, this is not right!” The old man laughed and looked at my ticket-I then had to pay 6,000CFA the equivalent of $12. We all had a good laugh-and then as I was leaving the police officer who had given me the ticket asked for my phone number-he said he would like to call me sometime. I simply said, “No, you should not have been so difficult!” The “boss man” laughed gave me a high five and I left. We all ended up being friends.

Now, this week I am back in Dakar. The other day I was stopped by a policeman for doing something that EVERYONE else was doing. This time the office just takes my license, gives me a ticket, and says I must go downtown to the station the next day to pay. I of course argued with him saying I had done nothing wrong (and I really hadn’t) to which he responded “well then, you do not know how to drive.” So the next day I arrive at the police station and everyone is looking at me very surprised that I actually showed up. Surprisingly they quickly find my license in a stack of literally hundreds. Then the man begins to tell me how much I owe-but I interrupted him and said, “This is not right. All the Senegalese were doing the exact same thing-and he only stops me. I did nothing wrong. This is not just.” The man laughs and tells me I can leave. YAY!

Ok, well, TODAY I was leaving my Wolof class and the same police officer stops me again for the exact same thing (seriously though-what I was doing was not wrong). He was angry and was shouting at me! He asked for my license-I gave it to him (while I argued with him). Then he wanted my carte de gris…I said “NO-I am not giving it to you”. In my mind I thought I can not believe I am telling a police officer no! I told him I wanted to speak with another police officer. He walked away. And I just waited. He returns and argues with me some more-I still refuse to give him the carte and he walks away. Then he returns a third time and insists I give him my carte. I refused-I pulled it out and told him he could see it-but I would not give it to him because he would keep it. He then walks away not happy. After about 15 minutes another police officer approaches my car-I thought to myself-”I am going to be really nice-I have had a week of Wolof lessons so I will greet him in Wolof”. So I greeted him in Wolof-he was surprised and then asked (in wolof)..”you speak Wolof?” I answered in Wolof saying-”just a little” and then continued in french saying “I started classes a week ago.” He then handed me my license and told me I could go. I thanked him in Wolof.

As I drove past the other officer (he was in the street directing traffic) he saw me and started shaking his finger at me. I smiled, nodded my head, and clasped my hands (kind of a “peace go with you” thing). Then he started laughing and held up the ticket he had written for me and ripped it up!

So, I have made several police friends and I still have my license and my carte! YAY! But even cooler than that….all of these conversations were done in French and Wolof. Finally it seems like language is coming together.