Policemen & Civil Servants

Today we're up and about fairly early to do some things that need to be done. First off, we need to draw some money out of the bank, then we need to book a hire car to get us back to the airport on Thursday, and finally we need to go and pick up my bracelet from the Jewelers.

So off we go on our merry way to Molyvos, park the car and set about our chores. First thing we realise that hiring a car and dumping it at the airport can be a costly business, the first place (hertz) wanting 70 euros for the pleasure. So we tell them we'll think about it and move onto the next hire place where we managed to get a charabang for 50 euros instead - much more reasonable. You may be wondering why we didn't just get a taxi, but the truth is it's not much cheaper than getting a hire car and we don't have to rely on a taxi a) turning up at the right time and b) it actually finding where we are staying. And so we arrange to pick up the car tomorrow night so we can have it ready for Thursday morning.

We then get some euros out of the cash point, and head towards the jewelers which is up a big hill. A bit puffy and sweaty we finally make it, get the bracelet and then go to another shop selling all sorts of produce from the island (its famous for its olives and honey). Phil gets a few pressies for the folks back home and we then start towards the car.

Isn't it amazing that you can spot something out of kilter from 100 paces? Yup indeed, as we're walking towards the car I spy the familiar flapping of a pink slip under the windscreen - we'd been had by the traffic warden.

It's not that I'm angry that we've got a ticket (well ok I'm a bit miffed to say the least) but there were no signs that either made sense or were visible to say that we couldn't park where we had. Indeed there were several other cars parked along the same stretch of road that we had resided on too. But there isn't much use in complaining now, we're in a foreign country so there is probably little chance of pledging a complaint, all we can reasonably do is pay the fine (all 68 euros of it).

As we are driving out of Molyvos we spot the bastard officer of the law who had given us the ticket. I roll down the window and ask him where I need to pay the fine, but all I receive back is a load of gibberish in Greek. I know there is a police station in Petra and so ask him in pigeon english if I should go to Petra, to which he points roughly in Petra's direction.

So off we go to Petra's police station where it appears everyone apart from a junior officer had disbanded for a siesta. The dudes english is not very good, but I show him the ticket and he then dials a number, says some stuff and hands the phone to me. At the end of the line is a woman who speaks reasonable english. I explain to her what has happened and then hand the phone back to the police man. After another skermish of greek I get handed the phone again and to my surprise I am told that "since I am going home on Thursday I should not bother paying the ticket and just ignore it, after all, they'll never find me after Thursday!". Which is a good plan all said, the problem is that the car is owned by me (long story) and so doing a runner and increasing the risk of getting hauled into a greek court when I next come the country (remember what they did to those plane spotters?!). I tell the lady the facts and hand the phone back to the man again. More hurdy gurdy and finally the phone comes back to me, and after a bit of confusion as to where I have to pay the fine, I'm told that I need to go back to Molyvos and visit the police station there.

Back down the coast we go and after trailing through the back streets of Molyvos we finally locate the police station. We go in, and again, there is just one officer on duty. He's sat behind his desk, ash tray breaming as a result of a very heavy day of paper work obviously. He's on the phone and staring at a tv which is displaying the latest stocks and shares of christ knows what... feta maybe! He gets off the phone and I hand him the ticket. He looks at it then gives it back to me as if to tell me that he can't be bothered to deal with it. But then changes his mind, takes it back and then rings another person. The phone gets handed to me with the rather blunt and rude exclamation of "EXPLAIN!" (I swear to god he sounded like he was a throw back from the Gestapo!). So I go through the whole rigmarole again to yet another english speaking woman who translates what I'm saying to Inspector Grumpy. Half way through all this the Sergeant walks in donning little more than his uniform and a couple of cans of lager! I mean WTF, as Abi finally fallen through the rabbit hole and found herself in a greek wonderland! It is surreal to say the least, fags, stocks and shares, lager and an attitude that is generally obnoxious and condescending - all in a police station. I know the UK cops aint a pleasure to deal with, but compared to this lot they are a picture of prim and proper law enforcement.

So when the soon to be pissed cop stops his chit chat to the lady on the other end of the line, I finally learn that I have to go to the town hall to pay the fine. Good, I know where that is and I'm relieved to be out of the clutches of the greek law enforcement shambles.

A quick trip down the road and I go into the town hall where I am met with a sight that perhaps unfairly is associated with most civil servants. All the staff in the office are chatting away, and eating a whole bakery's worth of pastries ranging from croissants to thick and gooey greek cakes. It's almost too much effort in fact for the one man who is sitting directly opposite the head clerk to get to his feet, extract a cake from the desk and weave his way over to another paper pusher who is just tucking into a coffee and a bun.

I sit at the now crumb laden but unoccupied seat and produce the ticket to the clerk, who makes a bit of a "tut tut" and "opa" grumble, and sets about doing the necessary paperwork... albeit slowly. And finally, yes finally, after I've handed over the euros I get the receipt as proof I've paid the fine - huufeckinrah!

It's taken the best part of 2 hours to get this ticket sorted out, it scorching hot and all I want to do is sit in the pool to cool off, so we head back to the house and do just that, along with getting a bit of lunch too.

Later on in the afternoon we go for a quick trip into Petra and get a few more things (greek sweets for work buddies) and after the traumas of the day we take a leaf out of the Civil Servants book and sit down and have a milkshake and a cake - afterall we think we've deserved it!

It's back to Eftalou tonight so Phil can get some more baby tuna before we go, and good heavens above I actually get some fresh calamari that is cooked right and tastes great. It's only taken 2 weeks to get it, but it was worth the wait.

Oh, and I did get to see the moon after all - it does exist!

Posted by Abi on the September 6, 2005 12:57 PM