Nov 04, 2025
Dem Boys Seh, Features / Columnists

---

(Kaieteur News) – Long time, if de police ketch yuh walking down de road wid a cutlass showing, dem used to seize it quick, quick. Dem nah use to tolerate no sharp object flashing in public. Man learn fast that if yuh must walk wid a cutlass, yuh better wrap it in newspaper, cloth or plastic bag. It was like a rule — conceal yuh tool or lose it.

Back then, if yuh get ketch wid a penknife, yuh could find yuhself explaining in front of a magistrate. And if yuh deh wid a ice pick in yuh pocket, yuh had to give one good story bout why yuh carrying it. Knife in yuh waist? Trouble. De police use to say prevention better than cure, so dem use to stop, search, and seize.

Now? Different story. These days, everybody walking bout wid jukka in dem pants — knife, ice pick, screwdriver, even cutlass swinging like fashion accessory. Nobody hiding nothing. And worse yet, de police turning a blind eye. Dem boys seh some police only searching people fuh bulge — but not de kind in de waistband, de kind in de pocket wid money inside.

Worse yet, people now openly selling Rambo knives on de pavements. And it is not surprising dat de hospitals getting nuff cases of people with stab wounds. Yet de police walking bout like dem ain’t see de blood trail leading straight from de street to de ward.

Even school pickney getting rob at knife point now. Ice pick and blade become part of de school uniform. Yuh could even spot who packing — de bulge in de waist does give it away. But like nobody ain’t watching, nobody ain’t caring.

Dem boys seh things gone real mad. One fella even see a madman wid knife in he waist and ask, “Boss, wha yuh doing wid that?” De man look calm, calm and answer, “Ah going and peel two mango.”

Talk half. Leff half.

---

---