More Race Stuff

Is race not one of the most interesting, controversial and most animated topic? I mean, it remains the staple subject matter for most comedians and remains to be a topic that is constantly researched, talked about, debated and rallied around despite what seems to be half a centuary of liberation and equality for all in all major Western countries.

Yesterday after lunch with Julia and Katlego while driving we were stopped by a police check point and was immediately asked to show our passports. I was at first perplexed by the request and when Julia and I presented our drivers licenses he once again asked for our passports. We spent a bit of time convincing him that we don't have our passports because we are all South African citizens and "he looked so bleak" quoting Julia when he realises that we are indeed South African citizens. Getting in the car Katlego told us that the police officer asked him in Zulu if he was runnig some kind of unofficial taxi service. I mean, he was a black guy driving a car with two Chinese in the car - he must be the chaffeur.

It was an amusing encounter, Julia described him as such a big asshole/jerk that it actually funny, he was truly disappointed by the fact that he could find nothing wrong with us - depressed even. I understand that we were within 2km of about 3 different Chinese supermarkets and I have been told by my boss that there always tons of police check points around and they always pull over trucks with Chinese drivers and try to extort bribes from them. In my mind, he just saw two Chinese in the car and thought "cash-cow" on seeing Katlego he immediately thought "Aw! Illegal taxi-driver."

Now, I could be wrong in assuming his motives for being such a big dick, but I can't really think of any rational reason for him behavouir. Regardless of whether he was corrupt or not is another irrelevent point though. His actions spoke louder than words the current racial zeitgeist in South Africa.

Again the irony was that the three of us were on our way to the apartheid musuem.