This is me sharing my experience as a once naive and innocent traveller on a Monday morning
I had just finished defending my final year project as an undergraduate. I decided to take the bull by the horns and not settle for what life has... you know, decided to give me or so I thought, I wanted to be deserving since they say "Life gives you what you deserve and not what you want " (can't count the number of times I have heard that).
Alright no problem, I said to myself, I would make sure I am deserving for what life has to offer, so while my friends were relaxing for a while after a successful bagging of their bachelor's degree and of course were feeling on top of the world, I set out ASAP to look for a job.
I immediately started pressing buttons, calling both known and unknown contacts, I was ferocious, I kept calling, messaging, and bam! I got a reliable Intel on an employment opportunity, happy I was, looking at the job requirement/criteria, I fit perfectly. I was determined to make this count, so I slept well, as the clock hit 6:30 am the following day I set out to a place I have never been before, with nothing but my necessary documents, my debit card, some cash, and my thoughts
Unaware of what was about to befall an innocent and naive traveler like me. I made my way to a commercial bus garage where I was supposed to get a Bus to my destination. I asked for the price as a normal traveler should, It was abnormally jacked up. I was unwilling to let go that amount on a Monday morning, so I took the shortcut. I stayed by the roadside like my fellow roadside individuals looking for a free ride to their destination.
I kept waving my hand, for cars flying by just in case any was good Samaritan enough to help me to my destination, I kept waving, 30 minutes, an hours, an hour and a half, just as I was about to give up, a car stopped, pretty suspicious if you ask me but I wasn't in the right state of mind, emotionally I was desperate so I hopped in without a second thought.
Once in the car, I sat, then it dawned on me, to at least take a look at the people around me, which I did. As I looked around, I realized I might have entangled myself In a worrisome situation. They say don't judge a book by it cover, but sincerely in this case, I am not so sure, everything that depicts a criminal, a lawbreaker, was staring me straight in the face.
Anxiety quickly overshadowed me, my throat went dry, I felt sick to my stomach, my palms became sweaty, I prayed for salvation, however, it came I just didn't care. I wanted out, which from the look of things I wasn't getting.
Then with we drowning in anxiety, and thoughts of possible means of escape from the predicament I have gotten myself into, we approached a police checkpoint. In my life, I never thought I would be so happy approaching a police checkpoint, evidently, it was unavoidable. We got to the checkpoint, the leader of the squad demanded car papers which they couldn't provide. He asked that we all stepped out of the car which I did gladly. He looked at all of us with a suspicious look on his face.
Then, disaster struck, he said, "I am taking you all to the station for questioning, you all look suspicious" Frankly from a neutral standpoint, with no biases, these guys looked like criminals. The situation has gone from bad to worse, I asked myself, I am now a suspect, I was shaking, these guys didn't even flinch. I realized I had to do something fast or I might go to jail even if I was later released.
Humbly, I demanded that I speak with the commandant of the squad. I summoned all vocabulary in me, I was a graduate damn it, I spoke to him and explained the whole situation to him, he pokingly said I look like the odd one out among them. I immediately said I was and showed him my documents including my school ID, immediately he saw my school ID, he became more receptive to me. Then he said you are a student of XYZ? I said yes, then he smiled, saying "You are free, I also finished there". I was happy, I thanked him from the bottom of my heart, I mean, I could have seen the four walls of a prison cell.
Just as I was about to leave, he told me to never again enter a random vehicle without looking and observing the caliber of people inside. He stated additionally that "most people have gone to jail because of that, as an accomplice to a crime they knew nothing about". I told him Yes Sir, making it clear that a lesson has been learnt here. He eventually helped me get a bus traveling to my destination.
Long story short I didn't get the job I so much traveled for, but I got something better and I didn't even have to travel. Frankly, this encounter changed my perception of the force slightly.
So that's one of my experiences with the force on a Monday, what do you think?