Today we share a new portion of photos with policemen from different countries. Moreover, these are not only photos, but also stories and comments, how we got them and what local people think about their police. Thus we will try to show not only the uniform of these people, but also a certain background of the countries.
Photos of policemen.
After our trip in Central America, Victor significantly enlarged his collection of photos with policemen from different countries. This trip turned out 100% successful in this respect since we got photos from all five countries we visited (not counting Guatemala, which we just passed).
This gave us the reason to update the gallery with police officers. Moreover, we found that we did not publish some pictures from the last time. For example, how can you miss such a nice pair of American police in New York?
We remind that for us the US is a standard of police friendliness. They refused to pose for our photo only once in Santa Barbara. Yes, yes, the city where millionaires live and maybe policemen are also very rich.
Another question is that there is no trace of friendliness when the police feel you are a threat. We read about many representative cases have while living in the States. Consider the advice from the locals: if you drive and are stopped by a patrol, always keep your hands in sight on the steering wheel.
We take photos not only of police people themselves, but of their unusual transport as well. This photo was taken in Central Park in New York. Victor could not sit in a car for a long time, as in a few seconds the police officer appeared, but did not say anything.
By the way, we also saw the same funny cars in China.
Nowadays, female policewomen may be encountered almost as often as a policemen. This is a very friendly lady from Munich.
Police in Asia.
If the reader suddenly objects that it occurs only in Europe, then here is an example from Thailand. Moreover, this photo was taken near a very specific place – a women’s prison, and even more precisely – the massage salon in this prison.
Another police officer from Thailand stopped us. It was during our trip on Mae Hong Son Loop. This site included a very steep serpentine, the brakes overheated and did not hold the motorbike well. That is why the police stopped such unexperienced travellers as we were; suggesting to cold down breaks for a bit. At first, we did not even understand what he wanted. He pointed at us, saying ‘the brakes’, but we heard ‘backs’ and could not get what he is talking about. Then we laughed together and took a photo.
That trip included mysterious Myanmar, in which Victor also managed to get a photo. It was in Bagan, an ancient city with many temples. One delegation came to one of the most important temples. So, this was the occasion to take pictures right away with several policemen in different suits.
We add the Asian collection picture from another journey. Mongolian policeman in Ulan Bator.
African police.
Even in Africa, there are policewomen! This is a photo from Uganda and its capital Kampala. There was one more picture of this lady and her workmate with Kalashnikov machine gun, but we lost it.
This Tanzanian policeman was a bit tipsy when we asked him to take a photo. He persistently invited us to visit his house, or drink somewhere, but we refused, because our friends in Mwanza were waiting for us.
In Burundi, the police were also friendly. We stayed only for two days in Bujumbura, but managed to make a photo for our collection.
The most difficult thing was in Rwanda. Probably, many have heard about the nightmarish events and genocide that took place here recently. Therefore, there are a lot of policemen here and they are all very brutal. They ride pickups in groups of 10 people, so taking of photo was dumb and difficult to do. According to our experience, the police in large groups are more reluctant to agree for a photo. Yet, we once decided to ask the group sitting on the back of the pickup truck, but unsuccessfully. That is why we limited ourselves to a photo of a less brutal guard.
By the way, when we arrived in the evening to Kigali, we were a little shocked by the number of policemen and asked the local people what is so unsecure here? We got the answer which surprised us even more: the more police the safer it is.
Kenya did not give us the “trophy” at all. A couple of times we tried to ask to take a photo in Nairobi and each time heard the response: this is not allowed. Here it is worth noting that Nairobi itself is full with rumours of crime (there is a joke: Nairobi means ‘night robbery’), especially at night. We did not try to check, but the local people also advised us against walking in darkness. Once we had to get to the bus station in the evening, the feelings were not pleasant.
Police in Central America.
We finish with photos from our trip to Central America. In Panama, we managed to make some photos. Here, in fact, you can get confused by the large number of police units.
In this photo, there is a police officer, who was in conjunction with the military police. The latter, perfectly armed, refused to be photographed.
Same in Honduras, the military police also did not agree to take a photo, but ordinary policemen did not refuse. Again, in their group was a woman. To be honest, we had to wait a little until they finish their meal in the eatery, and only then asked. Who knows what hungry Honduran policemen are like?
The policemen in Costa Rica were also very friendly. The locals we stayed with spoke very well about them and, like in Rwanda, they said it was better to walk exactly where the police was.
On the opposite, we heard an opinion about Salvadorian police, that they are corrupt and do nothing. Nevertheless, again it is better to walk where they are than where they are not, especially in San Salvador. And for us, they were very cute.
Finally, it was quite difficult to find policemen in Nicaragua. On the island of Ometepe, where we were stuck for five days due to the weather, we met only one patrol. They did not really want to be photographed with us. As a result, we had to be impudent and got a picture like this. 🙂
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