I have been told before I should not use this platform for a personal RANT!

I am ignoring this well intentioned advice. I’m going to RANT.

It’s not a long RANT. But it is a RANT.

Unfortunately it’s directed at our police – or the unknown (by me) senior officer who decided to instruct his officers to make it even more difficult for the Elmslie Memorial church members to get to their regular Sunday Worship on the same day as the Intertrust Cayman Islands Marathon.

Members of the police, the organisers of the Marathon and Elmslie church leaders got together and worked out a way of dealing with the problem that has occurred every year at this time.

This not only involves getting to the church but also the parking. Elmslie car park is small and therefore arrangements have been made for the majority of worshippers to use the car parks behind the church via Albert Panton Street.

A ROAD ACCESS PASS was issued to the car drivers that clearly states (see attachment) they had access to Fort Street, Albert Panton Street and Harbour Drive.

This was the same as last year and it did work.

The police officers were informed and there was little inconvenience.

However, this year a senior officer, without informing anyone at the church, gave instructions to his officerst there would be no access to the rear car park using Fort Street and Albert Panton Street.

The only access was to be via Mary Street and the right hand side of Harbour Drive up to the church.

To make matters worse most of the police officers were not informed about the passes and one officer didn’t even know where Elmslie Church was!

The result was frustration by all the car drivers coming in from the North, South and East! And, of course, the officers themselves who had to deal with, by then, angry drivers who were waving a piece of paper at them that meant absolutely nothing.

Yes, I was one of the angry, frustrated drivers who actually had to pray very hard for forgiveness, before entering the church vowing I will NOT attend Elmslie next year at this time.

The Elmslie car park was triple parked, and if there had been an emergency in the church only God knows what would have happened.

The car park at the back had a few lonely cars in them that I expect came by way of delivery by the two police helicopters. Or by God’s angels?

RANT over.