‘Me prepared fi dead from now!’ - Mechanic fears the worst after customers’ vehicles impounded

Grease Man, a mechanic in Havana, Arnett Gardens, was moved to tears yesterday as he watched as some of the vehicles he was working on at his outdoor garage were impounded by municipal police.

Grease Man told THE STAR that he received a notice last year to remove the vehicles from the sidewalk.

However, he was hoping that the Ministry of Transport would have given him a 'heads up' before confiscating the vehicles.

"Dem did notify me ... me get one a di notice dem. Di minister did come and talk to we in a December and seh by January we nuh fi lef no vehicle pon the road," he said.

He believes this was an unfair decision, made simply because he is living in a 'ghetto' community.

"Me born and grow bout yah and bare people a dead and nuh police nuh come. And watch yah ... me have car weh me a plan fi carry go scrap yard go sell. Dem nuh come Monday come seh 'We a give yuh two day ... we a come by Tuesday or Wednesday.' Dem just come in suh? Tru we a ghetto yute?" he said.

Dwayne Anderson, municipal police commander, informed THE STAR that the impounding of vehicles cannot be done without official notice.

He added that the residents were given notice twice in 2019, during the last quarter the year.

Grease Man is now concerned as some of the vehicles were left in his care by other people.

"A nuh all car weh deh yah a mine. Di way me feel right now, not even minister me nuh wah see! How dem fi just a jump and a tek up people things so? A 24 hour me out ya suh, enuh!" he said. "Right now a man a seh me owe him fi him car cause it gone. People car gone ... people will kill me fi dem things. M nuh know wah fi do. If dem wah kill mi fi it, dem afi go kill me cause me prepared fi dead from now."

Andrew, another mechanic, says it's just luck that allowed him to come and save the vehicle he was repairing before it was taken, as he was oblivious that notice was given.

"Me neva hear bout dat ... a first me a hear bout dat. Lucky me lucky enough fi come fi some tyre fi put pon a next car and me see wah gwan. Me nuh too agree wid dem. Is a car weh me a work pon."