I had to share this story!

[Sir Sam]

Ok, this guy is a big time Zcar guy, has a bunch of S30's, does land speed racing out at bonneville, has something like 30 old Zs on his property, is a bit of a crazy koot, but is an absolute hoot and a half. Tells stories about launching cars off of railroad tracks over Japanese police.

 

Well the gist of his job is that he travels to different places around the world and works on their industrial equipment, compressors etc.

 

Well right now he is in africa, Morroco, a few days ago he posted about how he had some stuff stolen from his hotel room, well here is the update:

I've been morose the past few days here. Ever since 4 1/2 pair of socks, my Dickies Denim Shirt, a pair of jeans, and my brand-new 2008 MSA shirt were pilfered from my room when the hotel I was staying at moved me from Rm6 on the first floor to Rm8 on the second floor (third floor in the USA)...

 

Well, coming back to the hotel yesterday was nothing untoward, dropped off from the Citroen Berlingo (or Kangoo...whatever, they look the same, maybe it was a Renault...) and up to the room to flip off the steel toes and go with the flipflops and 'cafe wear' for my afternoon of stiting watching the barren streets of Mohammedia Morroco during Ramadan.

 

Well, I come back down, and one of the guys who directs traffic outside the pastry shop next to the hotel is out in the street, WEARING MY GODDAMNED SHIRT!

 

I march over to him, grab him by the HAIR (he starts screaming in Moroccan, or Arabic, or something) as I start doing my best Peter Sellers "Pink Panther' "Securete! Securete!" Which I guess is the name of the national police---something like that, and much akin to the outfit Inspector Cluseau worked for...

 

Well a crowd gathered, and so did the Hotel Management---apparently they interpreted my foul "This Motherfu*ker sole my goddamned shirt and I WANT THE REST OF MY SH*T BACK! CALL THE SECURETE!" as a call for the police.

 

Who showed up and were much consternated. And luckily they were pseudo French Colonials as well, as I think normally I would have gotten the 'Infidel Brush-Off'... But in their questioning of the youth who had MY shirt on, he became vague from what I could determine. And the eyes of the Gendarmes opened wide and (stereotypically) they pointed and gave the French "Angh, Ooooh, AAAAANNNNGH!" when I opened my collared shirt, pulled up the back of it and turned around to reveal my 2007 MSA WEST COAST NATIONALS shirt underneath!

 

They then started beating this little mongrel with their sticks and shouting. Their attitude changed. They took him down a back alley, where I could hear the occasional WHACK and respondant scream in pain---all the while thinking 'man, I hope they don't ruin my shirt'!

 

One of the cops stayed with me and through translators they were asking about charges being made, and coming down to the office. I kept repeating that all I wanted to do was get my crap back because I need those long-sleeved shirts for my next assignment (mosquito-proofing myself to the greatest extent in malarial infested Niger River Delta region).

 

WEll, in about 5 minutes the kid comes back in tow with the other two cops. MAN he is BEAT! I mean really bruised and welted, my shirt is NOT on him, and is thrown over a pile of clothes. Yeah, they brought him back stripped to the waist basically---and you could see where they laid into him with their sticks across his ribs and back...

 

They show me this pile of stuff, and sure enough, it's my jeans and other shirt that were missing. No socks. Meh!

 

They explain that he has "Confessed" and that should I wish to, I may press charges and they would assure me of swift justice.

 

SO then I start to thinking, and remember something H4Lights said to me earlier in the week on a Skype Call...

 

(THEFT=LOOSE THAT HAND)

 

Kid is bawling, and has gotten the sh*t kicked out of him. I figure since I got my stuff back, I'm satisfied.

 

They want to press charges. And I'm thinking for some 20 year old kid to get his hand chopped off (and given the way he was wimpering, I figure this is what he expected to have happen) is a bit much since I got my stuff back. SO I tell the gendarmes that his confession and apology is enough for me, and that he must promise to be (errrgh, even having to say this grated on me) "A good muslim and follow the teachings of the prophet (praise be to him) in the future strictly" that I was satisified. And that "He should go to the mosque now and pray for his good fortune and the teaching that has occurred to him today."

 

THe gendarmes looked a bit shocked that I let him off, and as much as I would have loved to video the public behanding (is that the right term) for a YouTube Post "Guy who stole my MSA Shirt gets justice." I didn't think that was really a fitting punishment since I got the stuff back.

 

I have to be honest, though...those thoughts DID cross my mind. And it DID appeal to me that since he confessed his guilt culturally I was absolved of any guilt in his resultant lifetime handicap. I figure if they would have simply shot him on the spot, it would have been acceptable, but maiming him for life seemed a bit cruel.

 

But it was a stark "Wake Up" to a justice system outside the USA where the meaning of 'justice' is a bit different than Western Thought (at least since the reformation) dictates.

 

The GREAT news is that MY MSA 2008 T-SHIRT IS BACK (and so is my Dickie's Longsleeve Denim Shirt, and Jeans!)

 

WOO HOO!

 

I now put the LOCKS on my bag. I doubt this kid will be back to horf anything more, and I am out of here tomorrow night. I'm glad I watched all those Pink Panther movies now---I had apparently mocked the 'securete' word good enough that they knew to call right away.

 

And now, 24 hours later...I'm thinking this would make a great Election Commercial:

 

"In the coming election 2008, Vote for King Tony. A kind and benevolent Master for the country. Benevolent and kind."

 

Having literally been thrust into 'King Tony' for a literal moment, I found I was surpisingly benevolent, given my options.

 

I wonder if this kid will call me 'Arrogant Prickass'? LOL

 

 

MY MSA SHIRT IS BACK! MY MSA SHIRT IS BACK! MY MSA SHIRT IS BACK!

 

(And I think Ramadan is over, Ive seen more women on the street today that I have all week, and everybody seems happy...along with the cafe being open during the daytime...)

[Oizarod115]

hahaha. nice

[jtdesigns]

lol.. Should have told them to cut off his hand... Just for being a dumb $#!& for wearing it the next day....