SAGA BWOY! SAGGY PANTS: STYLE OR STUPIDITY?

WELCOME TO THE URBAN LIFE, WHERE ZOO KEEPERS HAVE TO TELL US NOT TO BEHAVE LIKE MONKEYS

The urban space carries an identity of its own. Its dynamic form keeps us mesmerized. The various cultures trapped within its boarders stand alone and merge at at the same time, managing to retain its individual identity while engaging in hybridization. The people of the urban tend to be trend setters and invigor others to adapt, become 'up-to-date', look cool and fashionable.
From the urban powerhouses of the world we have inherited famous fashion designers who give us styles that makes us look and feel beautiful, powerful, fancy. From the urban streets, we have gained fashion that is practical in everyday uses while still remaining stylish. Then sometimes, we have a clash of fashion that makes you wonder how can anyone be comfortable and think that they look good in that. Need an example?

Source: tweentribune

Let's step into the world of "sagging".
Sagging, as defined by Wikipedia, is a manner of wearing trousers below the waist, revealing much of the underwear.
Whilst it is not a style confined to urban areas, its origins (outside the US prison system) is in the urban sphere. It is said that it is a rejection of the values of mainstream society. What values, one might ask? The value of "everyone not wanting to see your underwear"? The value of "disrespect to other persons using a public space"? And isn't it ironic that a style that was supposed to go against all that was mainstream turns out itself to be...mainstream.
Our celebrities, who exemplify what is urban in their mannerisms, way of dress and general lifestyles, seem to endorse such style, making it even more popular within wider society. They have to be careful of the examples they set.

 

Source: ew.com

Freedom of expression is welcome in any sphere of life. It's what makes a plural society. It gives definition to the urban city. It keeps us from being bland photocopies of each other. But, like everything else, there are limits. Not limits on creativity, but on the way this creativity is expressed in public places.

Urban spaces are a conglomeration of people from all walks of life, of all ages and from many different backgrounds. We must be ever conscious of this fact. 

Many things have been said about Trinidad and Tobago, a lot of them things which we should not be proud of. A common one is, "If America catches a cold, T&T sneezes." We imitate too many things here in our small island state. We are a melting pot of cultural ingenuity. We are a highly creative people. We have a style of our own. Yet, we choose to soak up, like a Sham-wow in a pool of water, the styles of urban America that they themselves are trying to rid. 

We have reach the point where this sagging pants style is a pandemic. Where the headline on a daily newspaper is the banning of the style.

Our boys and men seem to put all logic aside when they don their pants. The crotch rides so low that they must walk with their legs far apart. Every three steps are followed by a pull up by the waist band so that the pants don't slip right off. Other road, parks, sidewalks, buildings users are privy to the colour and style of men underwear. I have come to the conclusion that plaid is most popular and WearWolf is an up and coming brand in Trinidad among the male population. 

During the Carnival season, my eyes were accosted by as many underwear and bare bottoms as costumes. 

(Trinidad Carnival "Style"?)
[Disclaimer: NOT KEES!]

The urban place is the home of new and emerging cultural trends. The clothes we wear are an expression of our culture and what we represent. It can show a particular stance we take or something we believe in. I am all for expression through what is worn. What I cannot condone is clothes that do not only disrespect yourself but those around you too. I believe this is exactly what saggy pants do. Be mindful of those around you. Let's not change the meaning of a "SAGA BOY." 

The urban is the leaders of clothing trends. Let's lead in the right direction. 

"Don't be into trends. Don't make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way you live."

-Gianni Versace

Sources:
http://www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog/?p=7375&cpage=1
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-urban-clothing.htm
http://kevinbrown55.hubpages.com/hub/turn-my-swag-on
http://www.open.uwi.edu/sites/default/files/UWIOC%20Practicum%20Guidelines-%20Students.pdf
www.ew.com

PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL PROTECTION

WELCOME TO THE URBAN LIFE, WHERE YOU NEED A MAN'S PROTECTION IN GOD'S HOUSE

When we pray, I believe that we all ask God for two main things: forgiveness and protection. In these dark times we are living in, protection is most definitely at the top of our lists. No longer can we take strolls on afternoons alone to gather our thoughts. No longer can we walk with our purses strewn care-freely over our shoulders. No longer can we wear our jewelry on whim and fancy and travel to our destinations. No longer can we hop into any vehicle, PH especially, and pay no mind to the other passengers knowing with certainty that we are going to arrive home safely.
With the murder toll being 99 in 84 days in Trinidad and Tobago, we try our hardest to keep ourselves from being the next tragic statistic. The simple pleasures we once took for granted are now like rare, precious jewels.

Crime is a problem that plagues most urban populations. Anytime there is a high density of people in one area, especially living in poverty and places that lack urban planning and regulation and can be classified as sprawl, crime levels are high relative to the rest of the country.
In Trinidad, our most dense areas are also those classified as 'crime hot-spots'.

Masih and Masih (1996) rationalized that apart from socio-economic reasons, “increase in urbanization [initially] may lead to decrease in crime because of closer proximity of residents; [but] finally, with even further increase in urbanization, crime may rise because individuals may not identify whether they are engaged in a legal or illegal activity”.
This link is a short table giving explanations for patterns of crime in urban areas.

But, where is one place a person can go to feel safe and secure from a violent world? A place of worship, perhaps. Churches, temples, mosques are those places where we can join together with our fellowmen to rejoice in our respective Gods and forget the frightful situations that we live in everyday. These are places where we can say God resides and we feel protected and wrapped up in His arms. We pray for guidance and mercy for our bullet-riddled country. God is the supreme protector and in our worship places we are supposed to be safe.
We jump in our cars on a Sunday and drive through tall, concrete walls. We wave to the security guard manning the car-park. We push through big doors doubly protected by re-enforced  glass and burglar-proof. We put our phones on silent and put it with our wallets to the bottom of our purses, protected by the Bible, Koran, Bhagavad-Gita.
Welcome to church/mosque/temple!

(St. Peter's RC Parish, Pointe-a-Pierre)

At no point in time does it cross our minds that the same criminal elements that we pray against, we are expecting and preparing for.
Psalm 18:2 says "The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety." Nowadays, we are building our own fortresses. We are fashioning our own shields. We are constructing our own places of safety.
We are building walls up instead of breaking down barriers. We are excluding those that most need the power of religion and the belief in an Almighty God. We are diving wholesale into an "Us vs Them" lifestyle.

But can we blame anybody for taking such drastic measures? Do we say that we have a faithless church? Or do we say that we have too many ruthless criminals to handle?
We have reached the point in our society where murders are happening in churches. Our traditional places of prayer and protection are being defiled by criminal elements. We need our places of worship to help fight the fight against crime but now the fights are happening within their very walls.
Some older folks argue that the religious culture that once permeated every nook and cranny of Trinidad and Tobago is now but a thin thread, fighting to remain intact. Churches are emptying faster than Government buildings at 4 pm. Evening sessions at mosques are seeing declines in attendance. Pundits are singing to empty seats. Crime is reaching it cold fingers into every sector of the society, shriveling it on touch.
This may be a general trend in all areas of the country but by far is most evident in our urban areas. Count the number of churches/temples/mosques in PoS and environs that are not there for history sake or not concerned with making a show in T&T. Ask your friends how many of them feel secure going to worship at late night meetings or open air crusades.
Who knows, maybe there is some sort of correlation between crime and religious exposure. Maybe if our churches don't close because of crime, crime will slow because of our churches. We can only wonder.

(Faith Centre, located in San Fernando)

If persons can no longer feel safe and secure to worship freely and without worry outside of their homes, the churches and mosques and temples will die with the many whose blood are being shed everyday.

Sources:
http://www.ttcrime.com/stats.php
http://www.ttcrime.com/crime-hot-spots.php
http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/42106/1/MPRA_paper_42106.pdf - Crime in Urban Areas: An Empirical Investigation by Erdal Gumus
http://www.sociology.org.uk/pblsdcr.pdf
Temporal Causality and the Dynamics of Different Categories of Crime and their Socio-Economic Determinants; Evidence from Australia - Masih and Masih (1996)
http://newsday.co.tt/news/0,172900.html

T&T's BREAKFAST: BREAD AND TRAFFIC JAM

WELCOME TO THE URBAN LIFE, WHERE THE FAST LIFE IS SURPRISINGLY...SLOW

Describe a typical commute to and from work.
Chances are it started in traffic, led you to the East-West Corridor and ended in traffic.

The E/W corridor, with the focus on the capital city PoS, is the jobs hub of the country. If you want a relatively good paying job, with not too ridiculous hours, enough places to kick back after work on a Friday and not in the Oil and Gas sector, then PoS is the place to be.
This is the wish of too many people. And too many people get their wishes coming true. So, everybody is heading into PoS and environs on a morning. And heading out in the afternoon. At the same time. Resulting in our "favorite" past-time in Trinidad.

This is not an issue isolated to Trinidad though. Even in our much slower sister isle, Tobago, the congestion problems are creeping up. Especially during peak periods like Easter, Carnival and Christmas. Let's zoom out more. The urban areas of the world, by large, are experiencing and fighting a failing battle at combating this vehicular traffic problem.

As the density of persons in and out of an area increases (place becomes more urban), the need for mobility also increases. The direction we have taken is motorization and diffusion of the automobile.
This has resulted in what we see everyday, traffic congestion coupled with parking problems. The demand for transport structures have not been met especially in PoS. This has caused space consumption problems and competition. Roadways have become parking spots, further adding to the traffic pile-up.
To add insult to injury, after you arrive in the city, your commuting time continue to escalate as the time it takes to find a parking spot and take up to 20 minutes.

But, can this pandemic be combated at all? PTSC buses run the length and breadth of Trinidad and Tobago. Most times, they enter and leave City Gate and other respective terminals half filled. Why? This is a measure implemented to discourage persons from coming into the urban areas with their personal vehicles. But it doesn't seem to be working well. Why? Some would argue that it's an uncomfortable ride during peak hours with overcrowding and noisy children. Then, during non-peak time, the schedules are most unpredictable. This adds to the growing discomfort of citizens and the use of public transport, forcing them to turn to their own cars. Therefore, the circle is completed and traffic woes grow.

Cars (and personal transport as a whole) are seen as a sign of status, besides their convenience. So, for the urban traffic problem to see any sort of resolution, the mindset of the people must change. Riding bicycles are seen as uncool and representative of the underprivileged.  The positive effects of bike sharing initiatives such as lower amounts of congestion within the urban space and improvements in air quality must be emphasizes. The "elite" must be encouraged to start to show the rest of the population that it's the "cool" thing to do. We all know we have a monkey see, monkey do culture in T&T and that seems to be the only way to start to get people to think in a certain way. 

Source: adsoftheworld.com

The traffic problem can begin to see a turn around if the population realize that cars aren't crutches and that their are alternatives. Our dependency on the automobile must decrease. Other public transport infrastructure must be upgraded however. Or possibly, the frequency and amount of buses in non-peak periods may increase if the demand for it provides the incentive. 

Signs that say to slow down have become redundant during peak times as there is no possible way to go any slower. 

Source: skyscrapercity.com

We must recognize our issue, come together and strive to make a difference. Let us put aside pride and "what people would think" mentalities and take the bus or make a bike share within urban areas a note-worthy and practical venture to undertake as a country. And possibly, our highways may look like this once again at all periods during the morning, afternoon, evening and night. 

Source: skyscrapercity.com

All in all, traffic congestion is problem alive and well in T&T and one which we must start to pay serious attention to. 

Sources:

http://www.newsday.co.tt/business/0,66452.html

http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/caloi_bikes_traffic_jam

http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch6en/conc6en/ch6c4en.html - The Geography of Transport Systems - Urban Transport Problems by Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue 

http://www.ctr.kth.se/publications/ctr2000_03.pdf - The Traffic Safety Problem in Urban Areas by J. Archer & K. Vogel

skyscrapercity.com

NO WAGE, NO WORK

WELCOME TO THE URBAN LIFE, WHERE YOU WONDER IF YOU'RE WORKING FOR FREE

I think that I could be a "seer 'oman" here in Trinidad.
I can predict the pages 2 & 3 stories in the daily newspapers and the headline story in the 7 o'clock news broadcasts. Murder/ kidnapping and protest.
But the way things seem to be going, I'd better really set up a future reading business and make some money as employers seem to be just a little bit too unwilling to pay these days.
And with this, we walk (stomp, shout, sing, beat drums, burn tires and raise placards) right into the heart of the booming "Petroleum Protest Industry" in Trinidad and Tobago.

I recognize that protest action is evident throughout the country and not isolated to urban areas only. But, I've decided to focus on urban life and protest. Protesting is important as it airs the views of the affected public and can result in some positive results for them. This is particularly important in urban areas due to the promises of an urban life. Also, to every action, there is a reaction. In this case, the reaction to protests may be negative on surrounding lives and livelihoods which may be exacerbated in the dense, urban areas.

The promises of the urban life are plentiful. The pull factors of the urban life coupled with the push factors from the rural lifestyle causes many to pack up their "jahaji bundle" and run toward the light.
According to the World Resource Institute, cities, as centres of commerce and industry are also the centres of wealth and political power...Urbanization is associated with higher incomes, improved health, higher literacy, and improved quality of life. Other benefits of urban life are less tangible but no less real: access to information, diversity, creativity and innovation.

But, as the old adage goes, the grass always look greener on the other side. The urban life isn't always what it says it is. We've had a surge in the numbers of people living in urban areas (over 1/3 of the world's population live in urban areas, with populations growing about 2.5% per year). Jobs, services and general lifestyles have to be improved to sustain this influx. And because this may not be happening at the rate it should be, we have social displeasure and unrest leading ultimately to protests bred from frustration.

Let's have a year in review. I will only select few cases.
MARCH 2012 - TCL WORKERS STRIKE
Workers claim too small salaries, too little benefits.

Source: http://jupiter.guardian.co.tt/news/2012-03-01/cops-share-licks-tcl-strikers

OCTOBER 2012 - EAST PORT-OF-SPAIN RESIDENTS
Residents, absorbed into the 'People and Projects for Progress' initiative by the Government, protested against the $69./day pay rate.

Source: ctntworld.com

MARCH 2013 - UWI NON-ACADEMIC STAFF
Workers protest against the 5% pay increase proposed by the UWI. They say they are still getting 2008 salaries.

(Shot in New Admin. Building, UWI, STA)

MARCH 2013 - T&TEC RETIREES
Retirees, who are supposed to be enjoying their golden years, are instead placarding for the money that they are owed.

General trend? No pay. Not enough pay.
The number one reason persons leave the rural area is to get jobs that pay better in order to support their families and provide a better life. But, it seems that if you are even able to secure a job, the amount of money paid, the time the salary is paid is still poor. We encourage rural to urban migration, yet do not have or upkeep the resources to ensure that the migrants are adequately supported.

But protests in Trinidad aren't only wage based. We recognize that the Government, in the end, control the type and quality of life we live.
SEPTEMBER 2012
Citizens came out to get answers to the Section 34 fiasco. Preferential treatment to certain members of the public affect us all. These people of stature are usually the models that others follow. We all want to achieve some level of financial stability and high social reputation. Maybe that's part of the reason that dragged us to the urban life. And to reach here, continue to struggle and see other people get treated differently because of their status, angered citizens.

Source: http://guardian.co.tt/news/2012-09-19/protesters-demand-answers

MARCH 2013 - PETROTRIN WORKERS STRIKE
Workers claim government interference in higher ranks within the company and poor medical plans.
And the workers were blue mad. Each person works and believe that their hard work will be rewarded. This reward is mostly seen in the form of promotion. It is claimed that promotions that workers are denied because places are being filled by persons with "links" to the government. There were publicized cases of this occurring already with the government so who is to say the workers' claims are unfounded? But also, there are vacancies that need to be filled that aren't, resulting in heavier work loads. It's a quandary down at Petrotrin.

Protest and airing views are all well and good and maybe even necessary in a democratic society. But, we must remember that outside the protesting family, there are other lives that are being affected.

Case#1 : The protest at UWI led to the New Administration Building. I had the 'fortune' of being on the 2nd floor. I heard the music and bobbed my head enjoying, thinking that Milner Hall was having a concert again. To my dismay, when I was ready to exit the building, I came across this mob of people outside the building, the automatic doors shut. I had class! And I was locked in! So we stood, the mob and I on opposite sides of a glass wall, each longing to be where the other was. Lo! The door opened and in danced the mob backing me into a corner. So, I captured a video (above) and then fought my way through, praying that a TV6 camera doesn't catch me to give my mother ideas that I protest in school.

Case #2 : The 7 day Petrotrin protest cost the company $700 mil. This puts the company's motto into perspective. They are indeed powered by the people (workers).

Source: petrotrin.com

But, Petrotrin is also state-owned. Negative repercussions for them means negative repercussions for all of us. On Feb 27th, six collective agreements were signed that gave workers 9% salary increases and 10% increase in allowances across the board. Perhaps, we can say the protest action was ill-timed after they got benefits that others will fight for and will have more negative consequences for more people than positive reactions for the workers only. Now, only time will tell.

I'd conclude that protests may be necessary but are definitely not enjoyable for the 'protestors, protestees and the caught-in-the-middles'.
Maybe the urban life needs to start to live up to its promises and provide a better life to reduce the frustration of its inhabitants.
Maybe companies, institutions, organizations... should just pay the people. They should learn by now that NO WAGE = NO WORK.
I warn you though, don't be surprised by many more protest action. After all in April 2012, OWTU's President General warned the PM and the country by large, that massive protests are on the way.


Sources:
Guardian Editorials (www.guardian.co.tt/editorials)
http://www.guardian.co.tt/editorial/2013-03-22/petrotrin-and-union-must-work-together
Cities and the Environment (http://www.wri.org/publication/content/8570)
http://guardian.co.tt/news/2012-04-16/roget-warns-pm-massive-protests
http://www.tntfinder.com/news/uwi-tells-owtu-current-staff-protests-illegal-listing-543.aspx
Human Geography, Places and Regions in Global Context: Paul Knox & Sallie A. Marston

THE LOST MEANING OF COMMUNITY

WELCOME TO THE URBAN LIFE, WHERE THE NEIGHBOURS ONLY KNOW YOUR NAME

"I'd bet the neighbours know my name..." Trey Songz crooned. And this made me wonder as to how close were those houses that the neighbours would hear this name during such ... moments.
But is that so different to what really happens in Trinidad. But this isn't about proximity of houses. This is about the proximity of the people within them. Close enough that they are nearly living in the same yards but only know their neighbours names because they heard it being said by somebody else.

It is said that the East-West corridor is the most densely populated in the entire of Trinidad. This became rather apparent during the recent protest by the residents of Sea Lots. After waiting for too long for transportation near Mt. Hope Hospital, I was accosted by Carnival again with the streets flooded with people playing mas in work and school uniforms.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.tt/gallery/photo-day-2013-02-26/commuter-woesjpg

It made me wonder just how many people indeed live along this corridor. The "urban" in Trinidad and Tobago is defined as 200 people living on a square kilometer. To me, that brings enough people into contact with each other. Yet, if you were to ask someone to tell you 5 facts about his/her nearest neighbour, you'd see confused expression. I've tried. 

Now, being wonderfully stuck in traffic, I made good use of my time and spied on those not so lucky ones who were still waiting to be picked up. And it occurred to me that the only people really talking to each other were the school-children. Maybe I am just really very backward and living in days gone before my time, but I found this rather strange. I have to wait on a bus every morning at 6.30 am. Now, my bus stop isn't very populated at that time of day but there are still 16 people who wait with me regularly every morning. I have spoken to everyone of them in passing conversations. Its just a matter of courtesy and passing time. And it has the added benefit of re-enforcing our sense of community. 

And this led me to a sad conclusion about the urban life ... the lost sense of community. 

The Private Future (Pawley, 1973) and Bowling Alone (Putnam, 2000) emphasizes the breakdown of community. This can only lead to the withdrawn and isolated individual.
Hall and Barrett (2012) expound on the relationship between lack of social cohesion within communities and social and cultural problems in urban areas. 

One might have expected that with the increase in the number of person living in one area, the binds of the community would have grown stronger. This now seems to be an inverse relationship. 

It is disheartening to know that the only time urban communities seem to come together is in the face of tragedy or perceived mistreatment to burn tires and protest and use the opportunity to ignite strife instead of building bonds between themselves to prevent the same from happening again. 

Community watches keep springing up in every area, but the "watchmen" are security guards from a hired firm from an entirely different area. How come the community itself isn't looking after its own needs together? 

Source: www.police.belleville.on.ca

The urban community needs to get up, shape up and think about the place they occupy and the people they share it with. The decline of the local territorial community as meaningful symbolic unit must be stopped and reversed. Once the primary social relationship and functional institutions have been eroded, the local area would be transformed from a symbolic place to just occupied physical space.

So think about what the community is supposed to mean. A common ground where people interact, enjoy each other's company and grow as a unit fostering togetherness and companionship. Maybe if communities acted more like one instead of each house a bubble, isolated from the next, social change and revitalization will take place as each person will now have a sense of place and belonging. 

Don't just stand, hand over eyes, Ipod in ears and as far away from the people around you. You and I both know you'd be waiting for a maxi for a while. So how about striking a little conversation with your fellowman. 

(Taken on Curepe Junction)

Always remember:

A gracious word may smooth the way, 

A joyous word may light the day.

A timely word may lessen stress,

A loving word may heal and bless.

It's time to reform and revitalize our urban spaces starting with our urban communities!

Sources:

www.police.belleville.on.ca

http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2094194?uid=3739200&uid=2134&uid=4578374707&uid=4578374697&uid=2&uid=70&uid=3&uid=60&sid=21101999997467

http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/trinidad-and-tobago/urban-population

http://watchourwords.org/

guardian.co.tt
Urban Geography by Tim Hall and Heather Barrett (2012) 

MOVING TOO FAST TO NEVER MOVE AGAIN

WELCOME TO THE URBAN LIFE, WHERE FAST CARS COULD NEVER BE FAST ENOUGH

I am driving toward Chaguanas one night, keeping at a comfortable speed. I look in my side mirror and a car is coming up on my right, a good distance away. I indicate, and proceed to look in my rear-view mirror before changing lanes. And the car zooms past me. Now, I know 'objects in the mirror are closer than they appear' but that car was speeding. A moment after another zooms past me on the shoulder. I begin to count seconds before I lose them in the other vehicles...I reached 4. Four seconds. The amount of road games on the highways, especially at nights, are astounding. And many times, devastating.
On my way home to classes, on top of the Chase Village Flyover, I decide to take a picture as for once in a very long time, I see the highway traffic free at about 8 in the morning...and not on a weekend. Such a strange phenomenon! I see a truck some distance away and made that my target. I wanted that truck in my picture. I unsling my camera from my wrist, turn it on...and the truck is gone. I spin around, intending to get it from the other side heading away from me. By the time I zoom in twice, the truck is but a spot on my screen. I take a picture of the other vehicles, all speeding (and I would believe enjoying the lack of traffic), while being most concerned about the speed of that truck, carrying gravel.

(Enjoy the lack of vehicles on the 'slow' lane)

The speed of vehicle made me wonder, can getting from one place to the next be slow? Why do persons have to leave late to reach somewhere on time? Or why do we have to speed home from a night out for no reason? Why do drivers feel as if the roadways have no speed limits are were made for them to practice their video-game driving skills? This last question is no joke. I know a young man who 'drifts' around corners like in the car racing games in Galactica. And too many times this type of negligent road behaviors end in accident, many fatal.

Look at this video. Several things are apparent.
Firstly, the young man on the highway is breaking the law. There should be no bicycle riding on the highways.
Secondly, he is endangering his life and putting other drivers in an uncomfortable position by holding onto the back of the truck, where the driver most definitely cannot see him. (If you can't see my rear-view mirror, I can't see you!)
Finally, observe the cars speeding down the shoulders.

http://www.tv6tnt.com/u-report/183270791.html?vid=a

Urban life and the culture of T&T require breadwinners to head in P.O.S. on a daily basis to earn the best dollar. This means facing the traffic. This leaves two options if you do not intend on sitting stationary for an hour: leave early and drive quickly to beat the traffic and other early-birds or leave later than most commuters to come after the traffic and drive quickly to still reach to work on time.

Urban life and the culture of T&T require us to own things we don't need. We work too much and late shifts then finally to head home, tired and burnt out and falling asleep behind the wheels. 

Urban life and the culture of T&T subtly require young people to spend their Wednesday nights at 'the world-famous Zen', and their  Friday and Saturday nights on Ariapita Avenue or at Shade. Then, race home after two/three in the mornings, most times slightly intoxicated. 

Urban life and the culture of T&T encourage fast pace. Discourages slow. 

But, the fast life is a killer. 

Source: arrivealivett.com

According to the World Health Organization 1.3M people are killed on the world’s roads each year!   Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and injury of our young people aged 4 through 34.   Not AIDS, not heart, not respiratory disorder, not malaria!  Young drivers in general are two to three times (2x-3x) more susceptible to experience a crash.  During the first six months of obtaining the privilege of a drivers’ licence, young drivers become eight times (8x) more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than more experienced drivers.

In Trinidad & Tobago (from 2007-2011) there were 173,000 reported road traffic collisions. This equates to 34,600 collisions per annum with as many as 200 fatalities.  Over 11,000 persons were reported injured.  Persons aged 15 yrs – 35 yrs accounted for 45% of the fatalities. 83% of which are young males!   And 43% pedestrians!  Every 16.8 minutes a collision occurs on our nation’s roads!  Every hour spent on our roads means there is a 25% chance of a collision and therefore a 25% chance of serious injury or fatality. For 2012 - 163 lives have been lost on our roadways – a 3% increase over last year (159 lives lost).  Young people you are most vulnerable!

-Sharon Inglefield, President of Arrive Alive

Urban life says that we must be up-to-date on everything, all the time. You have to tweet that joke your friend said from your blackberry. You have to instagram that picture that you took in the car from your ipad. You have to add that guy on facebook you met at the bar from your iphone. You have to call your boss to tell him you're running late. You have to call your wife to ask what's for dinner. While driving. Everybody knows that urban life says every moment is important and can't be wasted. 

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/82498993/

"Urban life is not only about places. It's about quality of place." We are decreasing the safety and quality of our roads by abuse of the meanings of urban life. We have to strike balances and not lose common-sense on the roads and sensitivity toward other road users. 

Persons think being from 'rural' is embarrassing. The culture of Trinidad and Tobago says that if you are considered 'urban' you have 'reached in life'. 

After personally experiencing both urban and rural life, I conclude rural is safer. If 'reaching' the pinnacle of life means that you must now die...on our nation's roadways, then call me a farmer and send me to the rural.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (UK) had this to say on its travel advisory about T&T on its website : "The standard of driving in Trinidad and Tobago is mixed. High speed road accidents on the main highways in Trinidad often results in fatalities...Take care when driving. 

I personally find this slightly embarrassing. That should not be an advisory at all. 

Urban life is fun, exciting and offer many possibilities, especially to the young. Let's not abuse the privilege and mar the image of the urban. 

Let's not cause our highways to become cemeteries.

(Taken near the Caroni Bird Sanctuary) 

ROAD FATALITIES IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Year	Fatal RTA	Dead	Adults	Minors	Driver	Passengers	Pedestrians	Motor Cyclist	Pedal Cyclist
2006	188	214	199	15	72	63	70	7	2
2007	188	214	193	21	74	59	69	4	8
2008	233	262	249	13	104	78	69	8	3
2009	192	222	208	14	96	66	46	10	4
2010	169	206	197	9	76	69	44	11	6
2011	150	181	171	10	71	51	45	10	4
2012	169	193	183	10	70	52	55	9	7

  

Sources:

http://www.arrivealivett.com/

http://www.arrivealivett.com/index.php?page=statistics

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/north-central-america/trinidad-tobago

http://www.prime-pco.com/scrws2010/pdf/02harata.pdf

Urban Geography, 4th Ed., Tim Hall and Heather Barrett.