Yellowshirts

or the Congolese traffic police wear black boots, blue trousers bloused into the boots, bright yellow long sleeve shirts and old American helmet liners also painted bright yellow. They are stationed, mostly in groups, sometimes alone at the busy intersections in lieu of traffic lights.

Their job is to influence chaos which they accomplish pretty well. It is not an easy job, standing in the hot sun trying to sort out a 4 lane road with 6 lanes of traffic, 1 lane going north next to a lane going south next to a lane going north next to a lane going south etc; or the same 4 lane road with the two outside lanes going north and the two inside lanes going south.

I've been in the middle of these contretemps and wondered at them; cars moving or not moving, horns beeping and yellowshirts dashing about yelling, gesticulating, pulling cars over and trying to restore order, which they eventually do.

Here in Kinshasa, I've read they get paid regular. But it isn't much and they supplement their income by jumping into cars that have committed a traffic infraction and exacting a fine; the amount of which depends upon the outcome of the negotiations. That happened to us once. The bidding started at $30.00 and the deal was closed at a dollar and a half.

There is a protocol to these affairs though. The yellowshirts won't stop you unless you have actually committed an infraction and you don't have to stop if your doors are locked and there is a clear roadway ahead.

Additionally the traffic police will save your life.

Around here, if pedestrian is struck by a car, the bystanders may try to kill the driver, not just rough them up, kill them, dead; never to move again. So if this happens, you are in serious trouble. And it can happen easier than you think, because there there are a lot of cars, a lot of people walking and nary a sidewalk to be seen.

One expat pilot I know struck a woman who stepped out in front of him while he was moving at some speed. She was injured and a death race started; the pilot trying to drive to the American embassy before the people chasing him in cars caught him and they trying to catch him before he got there. He lost the race at an intersection about two miles from the embassy.

Luckily, this intersection had a group of yellowshirts working there and they saved him. They fended off the crowd and controlled things until help arrived. Every time that pilot goes through that intersection now he stops and gives the guys something.

The same thing happened to a woman I know. She was in dense traffic and moving slowly when a guy jumped in front of her car and was struck. He went down with some cuts and bruises and immediately an angry crowd formed. She said the traffic cops intervened and took control. They fended off the crowd and guided her through the ensuing events which included going to the hospital to see the victim. The police were kind and solicitious throughout and she spoke very highly of them.

It turns out the victim probably intentionally jumped in front of her car intending to get hit. He needed money for his son for something or other and getting hit, softly, by a car driven by an expat was a way to get some.

So, that is what the traffic police in Kinshasa do.

Oh yeah, there are some motorcycle police who are yellowshirts too. They have appeared in the last few months. They have brand new motorcycles, uniforms and white Sam Browne belts with big pistol holsters. No pistols to put in the holsters though.