The Gibsons online blog

I had been in the shop for about two minutes when it happened. A pickup truck with a gang of armed men pulled up behind my car. Fortunately they we only armed with wheel clamps. Yes, apparently I was parked incorrectly. I should have had two wheels on the pavement instead of them both being on the road. They must like to see pedestrian put a great risk I'm guessing.

I did try to argue my case, that I was a visitor in the country, and that nowhere did it say park with two wheels on the pavement... or even don't park at all. To me, it was an enormous miscarriage of justice. How are you meant to park in a particular way if you don't know how you are meant to park in the first place...? At least we have double yellow lines and parking meters in the UK. When one gets a parking ticket in the UK you generally know you are in the wrong (Just for the record, I have never had a parking ticket in the UK.... or anywhere else for that matter).

Half way through deliberations another man came up telling me how he could get my fine halved (Pay a bribe). I told him, "thank you for your input but this is a slippery slope you are on", and he went on his way. Eventually a gave in, paid the 10,000 CFA (£12.50p) fine and then the policeman assured me, seeing I was still a little put out, that I should think of the fine as paying a contribution towards the running of the country. Funnily enough it did ease my ill feeling of being served an unjust parking fine.

His colleague then proceeded to unclamp the car and I dutifully placed my nearside two wheels on the pavement. I would like to say that at that moment a pedestrian wandered into the road in order to avoid my now "correctly" parked car only to be hit by a pickup truck full of uniformed wheel clampers...

But that did not happen. We just went our separate ways, me with my shopping, them with their clamping. Well, at least I made a contribution to the running of a third world country today!!!