
Fortune News | Mar 09,2019
Mar 12 , 2022
By Carolyn Kissane
It is no secret that systems and structures are biased. Hypocrisy is not only reserved for people but rules as well.
Start with face mask mandates on public transport. If one of the passengers fails to wear a mask, the driver will be fined. After this mandate, I have been in minibus taxis and told to wear a mask wherever traffic police are believed to be around the corner. The driver and taxi assistant never fail to remind their passengers to do this, although I have never heard or seen the rule enforced.
Of course, some people, either from defiance or negligence, fail to put their face masks on; they usually do this by wearing their masks in the wrong way without covering their noses or even mouths. These people might as well call it a "chin mask" instead of a face mask. It is their way of proving that no one can tell them what to do. It is hilarious how we wear a mask only for the sake of it and do not even bother to put it on properly.
But what about buses? Why is the mandate not enforced in the same way in the much more crowded buses by assistants?
The last time I used the bus, it started empty then later filled to the brim. At that time, only a few people wore masks. Most of the windows were closed and the bus was so packed there was not even space to turn. It is only logical that buses transport a greater number of people, with more ease of transmission if somebody on the bus contracted COVID-19. Not only that, but most buses travel long distances picking passengers on top of passengers but somehow the mandate is rarely enforced.
But the double standards and biases are not only applied to mask mandates. It is also in other facets of daily life.
Recently, banks have required their clients to fill in identifying information for their accounts by visiting a branch. To do that, possessing a renewed and valid resident card or ID is necessary. And the qebele where I am a resident had for some time suspended renewing IDs. So I went to the bank and gave them a copy of my expired ID in addition to my valid work ID.
“We can’t accept this as we don’t know how long the work ID is valid for,” the bank teller said.
I argued that there is no protocol for them to issue me an ID specifying how long it will be valid. He replied that I should get a letter from my workplace instead. I had to respect his decision even though I was not happy about it. It is not like I had a choice.
However, the second similar incident my relative experienced made me think twice if some banks enjoy making people’s lives harder. She was told to get a letter from theqebeleto the bank but they sent her back saying she had to get a letter from the bank first. This causes a great deal of headaches for people.
Why are the banks being given a deadline when it is well known that services have been interrupted at qebeles, including ID renewal? Why do we have to waste our time running between banks and qebelesjust to end up nowhere?
Such processes should be smooth. The bank should only send a customer to a after ensuring that the administrative office will cooperate. The same problem also applies to our roads. Sometimes we see numerous roads either being constructed or dug up all at the same time, including some of the alternative routes, creating traffic havoc and inconvenience.
How about waiting until an alternative road is opened before closing the main road?
It is just a thought.
PUBLISHED ON
Mar 12,2022 [ VOL
22 , NO
1141]
Fortune News | Mar 09,2019
Fortune News | Jan 07,2022
Fortune News | Apr 13,2019
Fortune News | Jul 17,2022
Editorial | Nov 12,2022
Radar | Jun 20,2020
Fortune News | Dec 07,2019
Viewpoints | Dec 10,2022
Sunday with Eden | Sep 30,2023
Agenda | Apr 20,2024
My Opinion | 126870 Views | Aug 14,2021
My Opinion | 123011 Views | Aug 21,2021
My Opinion | 121168 Views | Sep 10,2021
My Opinion | 119065 Views | Aug 07,2021
Dec 22 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Charged with transforming colossal state-owned enterprises into modern and competitiv...
Aug 18 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Although predictable Yonas Zerihun's job in the ride-hailing service is not immune to...
Jul 28 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Unhabitual, perhaps too many, Samuel Gebreyohannes, 38, used to occasionally enjoy a couple of beers at breakfast. However, he recently swit...
Jul 13 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Investors who rely on tractors, trucks, and field vehicles for commuting, transporting commodities, and f...
Mar 30 , 2025
When the private satellite channel, Ethiopian Broadcasting Service (EBS), aired an em...
Mar 23 , 2025
Getachew Redda, head of the Tigray Interim Regional Administration (TIRA), at least u...
Mar 16 , 2025
Ask anyone about the population of Addis Abeba, and a straightforward answer proves e...
Mar 9 , 2025
Five years ago, 11 non-governmental organisations (NGOs), together with 40 allies acr...
Mar 30 , 2025
The brewing industry faces a storm, with barley shortages leading to a substantial sp...
Mar 30 , 2025 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER
Federal officials are accelerating the shift towards domestically assembled electric...
Mar 30 , 2025 . By AKSAH ITALO
The federal government is pushing towards a single account for the treasury to consol...
The Ministry of Transport & Logistics faced scrutiny after federal auditors uncov...