Last night I had a terrible dream. In the dream, President Obama was visiting Jamaica and our prime minister, travelling in his official car, met him at the airport. The ancient vehicle sputtered from the airport and finally gave up the ghost somewhere in Rema.

A slim, trim Obama sprinted and hurdled into the May Pen Cemetery and took refuge behind one of the Tivoli pyramids. Our beloved prime minister was apprehended after a brief foot chase by some sturdy comrades and taken to an undisclosed location for 'debriefing'.

Maybe the dream was inspired by the fact that in the not too distant past, I saw our PM with car problems in the Fletcher's Land area - not far from where I had witnessed a brazen daylight murder a few years earlier. I resisted the temptation to offer him a ride as I was perilously low on gas. Or maybe it is because I am now hearing that he has overruled efforts to acquire a new official car, despite the fact the present 16-year-old 'doozenberg' has proven to be extremely unreliable. If his driver is pressed long enough, he will admit that the windows and the front end have a mind of their own.

Economic problems

The PM gives as his reason the fact that the country is facing economic problems. That is a fact, but it is also a fact that it is just downright dangerous - suicidal even - to drive an unreliable vehicle in Jamaica. Many have died whose only mistake was that their vehicle became disabled at the wrong place at the wrong time. History will tell us that targets for assassination are most vulnerable when they are being moved about.

We experimented with this kind of symbolism about 40 years ago. The immediate effect was that the nation grew suspicious of success. Frequently fed, this mindset has matured to the point where, today, we seem permanently and precariously perched near the precipice of persistent poverty. And wealth creation and a lottery ticket are given similar odds because we are still entrapped in that 'blessed are the poor' cocoon.

Reliable transportation a must-have

If the PM is concerned about the economy and wants to make a statement, he could freeze his salary, or some such thing. But reliable transportation for the head of state has security implications. It should not be left to him to decide to soldier in a 'patty pan' that could put him - and others - in harm's way. He is not a private citizen and should not be allowed to make that decision. As a courtesy, he could be asked to indicate the type of vehicle he wants purchased (a 'Bimmer' with mag rims, if I had anything to do with it) but he should not be allowed to engage in any activity or make any choice which, in the estimation of the competent authority, could place him in harm's way.

Perhaps this is a good time to tell the country if there are policies and procedures dealing with the security of our public officials and what they are.

I am, etc.,

GLENN TUCKER

Stony Hill

Kingston 9