Dear Editor,

While the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago is receiving a walloping in the public domain for its poor treatment of some 150 Jamaicans who tried to visit the territory, even a boycott of its goods is being suggested, I wish to highlight an experience of my own — right here in Jamaica.

On Friday, April 8, 2016, I arrived at the Donald Sangster Airport at 8:30 am for my return trip to Grand Cayman. The clerk at the Cayman Airways check-in counter made me aware that my government contract/worker’s permit was missing from my passport. It was then that I remembered that the expired passport, which has my contract, was left at home in the Cayman Islands. I immediately made this known to the clerk. Now, not for a minute was I expecting a red carpet to be rolled out for me, or that I would be ushered into first-class accommodation in reward for my gross negligence. But the disdainful behaviour of the customer service agents left a lot to be desired and had me feeling humiliated.

After explaining my situation to the agent and calmly asking her the way forward, she replied in a very disparaging manner: “The only way you will make it on the flight is if I make contact with the immigration in Cayman and they confirm that you have a work permit!” I had no problem with that, as I knew I stood on solid ground. She then asked to use my cellphone, and with this she made calls to Cayman immigration department — well, I could not be certain any calls were made as there was no record on my phone to confirm that.

“Can I have a number to call the department, I asked?”

“No,” she snapped, “You aren’t allowed to have that number!” and walked away. While I stood there in my moment of distress, she chatted and laughed rather nonchalantly with two other customer service agents, seemingly oblivious to the fact that time was against me.

I made contact with my wife in Grand Cayman and obtained the number for the immigration department. Moments later I was on the phone speaking with personnel from that department. The call progressed smoothly, and in no time my problem was resolved; the services I got there was impeccable.

After a brief chat between Cayman immigration personnel and the customer service supervisor I was “processed”. The rest of my trip went without further hindrances.

My experience may pale in comparison with the Jamaicans in the Trinidad & Tobago debacle, but this goes to show how on one hand we are berating them, while on our own soil we have customer service agents delivering substandard, disrespectful treatment to our own citizens. What if I didn’t make the call to the Cayman authorities, would I even have made it on that flight to commence work the next day? It never stops, welcome to Jamrock.

Kofi Tafari

Cayman Islands

kofitafari@yahoo.com