I have always found the police in China quite approachable and friendly – to the foreigners at least. So today when they called me up to say they were coming to see me with a form to sign I was curious. I didn’t think I had done anything wrong… nothing badly wrong anyhow.
Luckily my flatmate was in so could translate. It seems the police officer whose job it is to ‘look after’ (AKA ‘monitor’) the foreigners in this area does not speak English (organisational masterstroke!).
After giving me a badly written leaflet called ‘Guide for foreigners regarding their stay in Nanjing’ she got me to sign a form I couldn’t read, and went happily on her way, her duties seemingly discharged.
On reading the guide I now understand that there are various things that I should stop doing immediately such as;
- prostitution
- drugging
- beat people
- intrude a house
- organise an assembly
- take part in a demonstration
- be in a procession
- report any theft
As I had a policewoman sitting in my house I thought – I have a good idea. I will complain to her about my locked bicycle being stolen from within the locked area outside my front door.
I also wanted to list all the things I had had stolen and I wanted to show her the photo of the thief I caught up the road.
She listened carefully and then said ‘You should move to a safer area’.
Well thanks very much for the advice. But how about you making this area safe instead of advising me to move! (I didn’t actually say that obviously!)