This was written on Nov 21st 2006. Anyway, I am ‘publishing’ this BECAUSE the two-star officer told me I must tell my friends not to carry any pepper spray when they are next going to Hong Kong. Here goes:-
Now that I have ‘recovered’: you may like to know, I now have a file with the Hong Kong Police. I was stopped at the customs and my pepper spray confiscated.
Apparently, pepper spray or tear gas is considered a serious, lethal weapon. If I have been stopped in the streets of Hong Kong, I would be taken in, spend a night at the police station and taken to a criminal court.
I was, of course, taken to a corner. I was ‘interviewed’ by not just the Hong Kong Customs officers. Got the ‘third degree’ treatment from an obnoxious young chinese police; with even a two-star white-man police who came to see who is this ‘criminal’ carrying a ‘tear-gas’!
So imagine this: there was this cacophony of Cantonese going on within the 3 customs and 3 police as to what ‘weapon’ it is; and the white man and me, in English - trying to explain how my DAD bought for all the females in my family; and we all carried one now. This is after my sister-in-law was mugged and needed five stitches and how my maid was similarly mugged with a long blade knife; “you know the type that we see Hong Kong movie gangsters carry (our Malaysian parang)”. Of course, one of the Chinese police was trying to explain that it (the tear gas) could be used to rob banks and people. So of course, I have to say that that is the reason why I am carrying it, for protection and how pepper sprays are sold openly in DIY shops in Malaysia. Meanwhile there is this woman – shouting from one end of the customs to the corner where I was ‘held’; as they have to inform ‘my’ airline about ‘me’.
Well, I was ‘released’ after I signed a form of sorts. I was not required to do the mug-shots and stuff as I was leaving the country. Forgot to ask, whether I will be entering Hong Kong again as a criminal when I next go!
Although I was allowed to ‘go into the airport unescorted’, I am quite sure I was ‘followed’. Why? For the first time, I noticed a police man (because he was in a proper uniform and another white man). When I went to purchase a coffee at Starbuck, this police, joined the queue but never actually bought a drink. Then when I went to sit near the Gate, wait to board, there was an another Chinese in dark blue uniform with all sorts of walkie-talkie crackling, facing and sitting two row opposite me. He went off only when I went into the Gate. I actually stopped to watch/confirm my suspicion!
Please note the following:-
a. pepper spray is considered as ‘tear-gas’ in Hong Kong law – so it is considered as lethal weapon.
b. Pepper spray with a key chain and a brand name called ‘bodyguard’ is viewed more as a protection for individuals (however, still not legal in Hong Kong).
c. If you carry any aerosol – whether sun tan lotion or hair spray, it is merely confiscated; cause it will explode under cabin pressure but not a lethal weapon.
d. Incidentally there are many other similar cases of ‘females’ who are ‘caught’ carrying pepper spray when they left Hong Kong and they are all from Philippines and Thailand. I made it to being the first Malaysian in their file. No prizes for guessing, as to why all these females carry pepper spray!
e. Last but not least – carry your pepper spray, but leave it at home when you leave the country! Police are all alike – they consider you guilty and give you the third degree before proven innocent!
Hope you enjoy the reading the above. Like one of my girlfriend said ‘Why do I attract the police and not hunks!” Sigh, story of my life! But then again – like my sister-in-law, speaking from real personal experience, said it is better to be stopped by the police then a mugger! That is a real violation!
