How to Politicise an Ordinary Citizen

Answer: inconvenience them for no reason. 

Really, this is a very effective tactic. For your average, middle class, working 20-something, being inconvenienced during your daily routine is one of the MOST frustrating things in the world. An example - in the morning you go to brush your teeth. No toothpaste. "GAAAAAAAAH, why mEE? No time for this LAH?!?!"

Sold?  

So we all know what happened this weekend…Bersih 2.0. 

Previous to this, little yellow banners had been popping up on Facebook for a few weeks, Bersih mentioned here and there…but I for one, never really cared why or what for. It made me wonder…but only a bit. There was gonna be a demonstration in KL…ok cool. Whatever. 

Until Friday. 

When I was inconvenienced.

My drive home is a well documented 1 hour, which is already too long. Now imagine that it's Friday evening, your tired after a week of working...and your journey takes THREE TIMES as long as normal. That's right, THREE HOURS TO GET HOME. 

This happened.

I knew within the first 10 minutes that I would be stuck for a while, given all the news reports about police roadblocks and the fact that the traffic NEVER starts this far back...And the first hour was quite fun! Chillin' in the car…calling people…reading...fix my hair...(which is all ok, as I was basically not moving…). And it was exciting. Something was happening…this wasn't normal…ooOOooh..?

Second hour, however, significantly less fun. My phone battery was dying so no more calls, and the sun had set, so no more reading. The radio was boring as the stations were clearly banned from talking about anything political and I'd reached the messy part of the jam. 

Summit Mall? It is famous for it's traffic. Especially at rush hour, especially on a Friday. So much so, they have traffic police there everyday to override the lights and keep the traffic flowing. 

On this day, traffic police are absent. 

There is much mess in the "no cars please" yellow box area. 

Stuck some more. 

Stuck, stuck, stuck. 

-------------------

Time out for an awkward moment - a bus full of young boys pulls up alongside, excited to see the mat salleh, driving.  

=.=

So now I'm stuck in my car trying to act normal despite the knowledge that they're watching me. Aihhh. 

Why does that happen?? It has to be the weirdos next you for 10 minutes, while the cute guy is driving in the opposite direction, gone in 20 seconds…

:P

-------------------

And then I meet the cause of my 2 hour delay. Police roadblock. 

Which I guess I expected? But when I saw it, I LAUGHED!! Out loud, threw my head back like a crazy woman, all alone in her car, and laughed. 

You're expecting a demonstration in KL, which you want to prevent people attending. So you set up a roadblock in SUBANG JAYA, miles from the city, in the busiest spot you know, at the busiest time of day, turning 4 lanes of traffic into 1, and don't stop anyone. Just slowly wave them all past. 

After the block, no problem, the traffic flows like water. 

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

You know what that achieved? 

I sat in my car thinking…"Do I have anything yellow in my wardrobe? Because I'm going to wear it tomorrow..."

I saw yellows cars and thought, "Dang, I wish I'd bought a yellow car…"

I drove past a yellow house and thought, "Wow, I wish my house was yellow..."

What is the purpose of your roadblock? I'm just trying to get home, nowhere near KL. 

You wanna cause disruption and shout to everyone that it's because of the inconsiderate protestors? The inconsiderate protestors who are organising a peaceful street march to ask for free and fair elections? What could possibly be the harm in that? But it looks like you have a problem with it. And now I know it.

And I have a problem with that. 

Consider me politicised.