Fire and civil unrest are burning France and other places in Europe for long days now with no credible solution in sight at the time of writing. Why would this happen in the land of Liberty, Equality, Fraternity?
I happen to be currently sitting in northern Sweden as I write this, It’s turning winter now and temperatures are already subzero and falling fast, I go to Stockholm tomorrow to conclude my business here before returning home to the UK.
I used to live in Sweden and decided to move back home a year ago, have been working somewhat too hard since. I am on a visit as part of my transition now, I hope to have a couple days off and see some friends and relax a bit moving around, driving to see some sights with whoever of them will come with me as is my joy.
I used to live in Paris in my youth more than 25 years ago, I remember walking to an appointment somewhere on the Champs Elysees one morning and as I exited the Metro in a fast stroll I came upon a group of 5 policemen.
The one in the middle of the 5 from my point of view, apparently youngest and keen broke ranks from the others, from the corner of my eye and perpendicular to my path, he strutted in my direction 20 feet away closing sharpish to intercept.
“Attente!�?
I kept walking about my business, moving with the stream heading out to the street.
“Papiers!�? he continued upping the volume.
I knew at this point if I did not acknowledge him I was asking for it so I turned on my heels.
Hello can I help you sir!
“Papiers!�? His tone got harder more menacing.
“Je demande..�? He was getting tense now.
“Oh yes sir you want to inspect my papers, please let me take them slowly out of my pocket.�? I said in the clearest English at audible volume for all within ear shot, whilst keeping my palms facing forward at my side. I hoped his English was enough to interpret that I was not going be any “trouble.�?
I handed him my British passport, he wanted to search my pockets.
I let him dig and rotated my body cooperatively as he emptied my pocket at the entrance to the subway, many pedestrians in and out his hands bulging; Wallet, passport, driving licence, a magazine and bits and pieces threatening to spill all over the pavement.
He found “lots of cash, French francs! He seemed to think it was a lot from his reactions it being in the region of only £300 UK. I wondered what he was going to make of that?
Was it that he wouldn’t expect me to have this “much�? money and would inevitably waste my time I wondered?
He looked me up and down his lips tense, his complexion went up a candela red as I pointedly held my calm and dignity.
He turned to face his comrades over there lurking looking on and walked over to them, they huddled around his out stretched hands of notes and stuff each of them grabbing an item and handing it back to him in turn.
I stood waiting..
One of them rattled off something in French too fast and quiet for me to translate, except that I picked up on something to the effect of;
�?This one is hot !�?
My heart froze as I projected the time wasting coming up, the explanations and maybe even the man handling and I was surly going to be late now.
They huddled and exchange commentary with each other for a while apparently a bit excited, the elder of the bunch finally walked over to me after about 5 minutes smiled, muttered something friendly about roast beef and gave me back my cash and papers and au revoir bonne journée.
They had found the slip I got with the cash withdrawal at the bureau de change earlier.
Did I resent that?
Sure I did.
Forward 15 years or so I found myself in Rotterdam on a couple weeks off and no solid plans, I wanted it that way as is my custom, I like to follow my nose to interesting adventures.
I left my friend’s home one morning a couple days after arriving, jumped on a train to Amsterdam because I wasn’t sure what I was doing and found a car rental office in town. I needed to be mobile door to door whatever.
I turned the keys and headed out the parking lot I had an Idea.. How about ..?!
I pointed toward Spain on the map and headed into Belgium, enjoyed it’s flatness until I reached the French border entry where I was picked out of the crowd and held; they wanted a detailed examination of my car!
Hours later as they gave me back my keys and I resignedly asked if I could go now, I meekly asked the officer.
“Why did you search my car so thoroughly really?�?
“Because you are entering France.�?
“OK!�? I replied upbeat and drove on my way south.
Did I resent that?
Sure I did.
I came up on the border post with Spain on the French side, I was picked out of the crowd and held, and they wanted a detailed examination of my car again!
Hours later as they gave me back my keys, I resignedly asked if I could go now, I asked the officer more pointedly.
“Why did you search my car so thoroughly really can you tell me?�?
“Because you are leaving France.�?
“OK !�? I replied semi sceptically and drove on my way into Spain.
Did I resent that?
Sure I did.
I had a great time indeed with some friend in the north of Spain. Bilbao, San Sebastian and Vizcaya all over. Loved the big hotel on the hill in San Sebastian overlooking a lighthouse and huge expanse of ocean, room with floor to ceiling glass wall/windows enabling the most fantastic view, pricey, then again why does one work so hard?
For reasons I won’t go into I spent longer and more loot there than expected some 2 weeks passed and the final bill was a monster, we did party!
One evening about 6pm I said goodbye to my friends and headed north for the long drive to Amsterdam and Rotterdam and hit the border with France.
I was picked out of the crowd and held, they wanted a detailed examination of my car yet again ! Crying out loud!!
Hours later as they gave me back my keys and I resignedly and resignedly again asked if I could go now, I tensely, bored and carefully asked the officer.
“Why did you search my car so thoroughly, you guys must be looking for something important? Every-time I have crossed a French border on this trip I have been stopped and searched, could you please explain why?�?
“Because you are driving a nice car and you have all the papers in your bag.�?
“Is that a crime?�?
“Well you have receipts from Hotel Bla Bla and we wondered how you can afford to stay there and drive a car like this.�?
Well I work hard at a job I like and I get well paid. Do you search every one driving a nice car and who may have stayed at Hotel bla bla or only people who look like me?
Well we have to be careful who we let into France, we thought you were carrying drugs maybe!
“OK!�? I replied and drove on my way north.
Did I resent that?
Sure I did.
Why?
I do come from a country where the police don’t wear guns openly on the street. They do in France and elsewhere I know. That does intimidates me tremendously I admit. I can never relax around someone in the possession of a loaded gun.
I am not French or immigrant to France, or descendants of immigrants to France or from a French colony that may or may not be a department of France, however I find it difficult in a country where the police with guns exercise their powers of stop and search with such alacrity and targeting of underrepresented groups in the street in the humiliating fashion that has been my experience.
I find it difficult when as a grown adult man, I find myself subjected to the humiliation of stop and search while presumably decent honest folk look on at someone like me, who must be a criminal of some sort if the police are interested?
I resent it that I cannot spend my hard earned cash on the convenience of a car and hotel room to rejuvenate my mind, body and spirit without being suspected of being a criminal and humiliated after a time that I found to be peaceful and fun filled with my friends. I wanted to keep those moments and memories clean.
I resent it that a French policeman or European policemen or women generally, would feel it entirely rational to take the view that I could not have afforded the convenience of a “nice�? car and hotel room except by illegal means. Do they have some “mime” that says that guys who look like me can’t earn a decent living without resorting to crime?
Why would they think a thing like that I wonder, is there some kind of secret unspoken understanding they have that I am not privy to?
I resent it that so many people must share my experience in France and elsewhere based on our human god given looks.
I would like to see organisational / institutional structures and systems and professional practice in place devoid of racist stereotyping where police and other public officials approach people with courtesy and respect for who they are in the first instance, because they are more enlightened human beings.
I would like to see police use their resources to effectively target the real criminals and maintain law and order instead of contributing to “The mess!�? we do need them believe me.
Since the above incident I have refused to ever return to France, I cannot say it will be like that for ever, It’s a contrast though to the frequency with which I used to visit, I notice now to that I no longer speak or understand French. It has been sometime now.
Recently I was driving at night in Stockholm Sweden with a male friend who looks like me racially; we had just left another friend’s apartment and walked to my car intending to go pick up my laptop from the office on our way home in town.
We were thirty seconds or so into our journey and pulled onto the highway. A blue light flashed in my rear view mirror, outside its rainy, lonely and pitch black, and of course very cold Swedish winter coming. I continue on to a distant gas station down the road about another minute and pulled in directly in front of the CCTV camera so it could see what was going down. you never know.
I opened the car door and stepped out as they pulled up behind me.
“Good night sir.�? I said smiling.
“Good night.�? He said coolly
“Why did you stop us, is there a problem?
“We saw that you were 2 (“bleep!�?) in a nice car and we have to check it’s not stolen. Do you own the car?�?
“Yes I do, it is however registered to the company I work for.�?
“Oh that is a problem because we need to prove the car is not stolen.�? He informed me.
“What’s special about us two in a car that would make it stolen then?�?
“It’s a nice car and you two are driving it.�?
“Did you know that it’s illegal in Sweden and the European Union to use racial profiling in this way?�?
He shrugged his shoulders bored.
The second police officer sidled up to the scene.
“When you checked the car on the computer whilst following us was it reported stolen?�? I asked.
“No.�? the second one said.
“You saw its registered to a company?�?
“Yes.�?
“We need to call the company to see its not stolen.�? The second one said reaching for his phone.
“You can try, I doubt if anyone is there now, It’s getting late why can’t you accept the car is mine and let us go?�?
“Because we never meet guys like you who can afforded a car like this without stealing it, if we can’t confirm the car is yours we will have to take you with us until we do and we will want to have a look at your home!�?
“What for?�? I said getting alarmed.
They called my office, my young assistant who happened to be working late took the call, she was white and Swedish and sounded so as she told him that I was indeed the owner of the car and principal of our company. She could have been anyone.
They seemed disappointed and a bit off balance as their radio suddenly squawked something pressing, important or interesting.
Off they went to their car without a goodbye or thank you and in a few seconds drove off leaving us standing there.
I mused to my friend;
“When will we be free of this rubbish, it been over 500 years now mate?�?
My friend says;
“I really hate this place and how they treat us for no reason. Sometimes I worry they will in time drive me insane, maybe that’s the idea.�?
“I am sorry about this man, lets go to town and forget it, they only want to keep us down and keep us broke so we can’t afford nice cars or nice anything! I replied.
“You know!”
Do I resent that?
Sure I do.
Who Cares?
Links
That hotel on the hill San Sebastian
http://www.monteigueldo.com/ns_en_localizacion.htm
France on fire
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=322&start=0&&edition=1&ttl=20051117161046
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4441246.stm
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Floyd Campbell is Principal of
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