Eight, Eight, Eighty-Eight

The date is eighth of August, the year of their Lord One thousand nine hundred and eighty-eight (8-8-88). By a strange coincidence I happen to be in New York on that date.

Prior to that I was in Houston and Los Angeles. The whole of America is mad at the approach of 8-8-88. All items sold for 99 cents is marked down to 88 cents. Few dollars and 99 cents items are also being marked down to dollars and 88 cents.

There is some charm in the American psyche that they take pride in enjoying life, and even little, small and insignificant things are exalted and exploited for commercial gain and profit. This is what makes their economy “tick and kick”. Nobody saves money. They do not earn and spend, But spend first and then try to earn later on. In the bargain, the money sharks do a roaring business. The real big business in America is the credit card business. It is really an enigma that the citizens of the world’s richest country are always upto the neck in debt. They live, from Friday to Friday as the paychecks are given on that day which must be deposited because the in coming pay has already been spent and installment payments are due from that paycheck.

Well, all said and done, this is their problem and their headache. I only record here what I have observed on my numerous visits to that great country.

Coming back to 8-8-88. At around 6:00pm. I am at the British Airways check-in counter at JFK on way to London. I have my suitcase as well as briefcase on the trolley.

Because, in England, the trolleys are “pushed”, in America they are “pulled”. As a matter of routine America must do everything opposite to Britain. Electrical switches are opposite. Car driving on road is opposite. Football is soccer and rugby is football. From the trolley in the rear, which is naturally out of my sight an African American takes my briefcase and runs away. I see him running, I rush to the nearest police officer I see. She is a fat (not less than 64 inches waist line) lady officer. She has a walkie-talkie in her hand. I show her the muggers who are decamping with my briefcase. All she has to do is to alert the officers posted outside and they would nab those guys in a jiffy. I plead with her to inform the cops outside. Imagine what she tells me? She tells me that she cannot do anything as she is going for her “COFFEE BREAK”. I could not believe my ears that a police officer is looking at the thieves getting away with my briefcase and she thinks her Coffee is far more important than performing her duty.

In silent whisper I contemplate that if this is the state of affairs then may God help this country.

And my fears are proving true day by day. In the matter of 9/11 we are witnessing that one department is passing on the buck to the other department.

If the president of the country spends more time “behind” the oval office rather than “in” it, then what forecast can you make for the future of this great super power. Enron’s, World Com etc are just manifestations of the “Coffee Break” of 8-8-88.

In passing I would like to add that the briefcase contained my travellers cheques, some cash, my ticket and passport. Yes, all gone / thanks to British Airways for giving me a free hotel room overnight at JFK. And thanks to my Pakistan Embassy for issuing me a passport in 15 minutes. I was off to London on 9^th August. There again thanks to the immigration staff for letting me in without a visa as my new passport was hardly 24 hrs old.

May their Lord help America / Amen.

IBRAHIM SUTTAR

July 9, 2004

back to top