Petitions for the obvious

Recently several friends forwarded me a "please sign this petition" link to be sent to the THA proposing the installation of multiple garbage bins in the parking areas of all Tobago beaches that have parking facilities.

Why does an island that prides itself on "tourism" and being "clean, green and serene" not consider beachside garbage bins and regular collection of garbage a commonsense requirement? Why must citizens draft a petition and solicit signatures to have litter-management facilities put in place?

Recently, while dining with a friend at a beachfront restaurant, I chatted with the waitress and then management about the fact that their bright lighting would affect nesting sea turtles. I offered suggestions to help alleviate the issue.

The waitress informed us that even when they had had red lights that were more turtle-friendly, the turtles would still be affected when people, spotting them further up the beach, would run to see them, scaring the huge creatures back into the sea with camera flashes.

I suggested that they could hire a beach warden to patrol and ensure that guests do not scare the turtles. He or she could educate interested patrons on how to behave around turtles and take them on guided walks to witness the turtle egg-laying phenomenon in a responsible manner.

Will the suggestions made be implemented? Will more environmentally-conscious patrons or groups speak to them about the issue?

Coincidentally, upon reaching home, I received another "please sign this petition link" from a friend: “Grant permission for night patrols as a matter of urgency to protect sea turtles in TT,”

Why is such a petition necessary on an island where turtles are a valuable tourism attraction and should, by all means possible, be protected from human beings who terrify them with flashing cameras...who poach...and who steal their eggs to mix with Guinness, believing that the concoction will make them more potent sexually?

I asked a few citizens at random “What petition would you start in order to address issues that are of concern to you in Tobago?”

N-Sarah, a concerned citizen who watches a lot of crime shows on television, said:

“I feel there is a lot of slackness in the police force. Our policemen need to have body cams, like in the States. Once you are on patrol your body cam must be running so you can’t get away with lawlessness. It should be mandatory for police on patrol. It is our way of protecting ourselves as citizens because some police twist and turn stories and break the law themselves. It is also to protect them because some citizens cause trouble when police are doing the right thing.”

Sarah, a cycling enthusiast, said: “The littering. I think they need to enforce and charge people the $1,000 fine for littering. Cycling just now on Store Bay Local Road I saw a van hurling bottles from the window. Education is needed in schools. Or people leave garbage bags out and then get upset when dogs rip them up.

"That’s another thing. The animals. I see so many half-starved and pitiful dogs. People allow their dogs to breed and breed without any knowledge of if or how those puppies will survive.

"There are millions of things to start petitions about.”

One customer service representative had the following to say: “So many things, eh. I don’t know if we should have a petition for this because it is something the Government should see about...PH drivers. Especially in the night, anyone could be a PH river. They must have something to show that this person is a regularised PH driver. I don’t know what they will put in place for that.”

Recently, while on a beach walk, two friends found three incapacitated laughing gulls. Most likely they were trapped in thick sargassum (seaweed), and efforts to become disentangled could have exhausted and weakened them.

My friends brought them to me for rehabilitation and we force-fed them with feeding tubes and blended fish. By day three, the two stronger gulls were released. The weakest one is a survivor at heart, but cannot yet stand or fly. Sadly, Tobago has no x-ray or ultrasound machines for animals so we cannot see if or how she is injured.

“We need a petition to raise funds for those machines over there,” one animal lover commented.

My question is: why are petitions needed for such obviously vital things?