Well I'm running / police on my back

Oh I’m proud of my wife. A few days after my post about the ongoing training being undertaken by the Bali Polisi, Brigid was stopped. In broad daylight, by the big roundabout that links Sunset Road and the Bypass, she was hailed over by a man in a brown uniform.

“You went through a red light, it may have looked green to you but it was red”

If you have ever driven in Bali, or anywhere else in Indonesia, you will be aware that lights may or may not go, and either way, no-one generally pays the blindest bit of attention anyway.

Regardless of that, she handed over her license, which was handed back, and he asked “What do you want to do about it”. She replied that she wanted the ticket and would go to court. He said she could not do that and he would confiscate her license. She then retorted that that was not correct procedure and she would neither hand it over or pay a bribe, as was being requested.

Furthermore, she said, her friend was a good friend of the Balinese Police Chief and she was going to ring her. Which she did. Her friend’s advice was to ask for a ticket and if he would not issue one, remember the name on his badge, give him RP50,000 and wish him a happy Christmas.

Upon being told this the man noticeably freaked, refused the money and told her to go.

Merry Christmas……