They'd say I had it coming
Nice sentiment, but not exactly. Illustration #2 the more accurate.
Somehow, despite an attitude problem and tendency for insubordination, I got through high school without a detention. The penalty point system, which in many ways was 'soft on crime' but also a precursor to mandatory sentencing, determined that the third penalty point would––only but always––result in detention. I was an expert at balancing two penalty points, avoiding a third until, at the end of each semester my sheet was wiped clean.
It was a shock then when flying into London from the Netherlands recently, I was detained at Her Majesty's pleasure by the enthusiastically rabid border police. Like all lengthy, tortured debates, we disagreed from the outset with differences of opinion on the basic definition of the terms: what it is to be a 'visitor', a 'student', a 'tourist', what is legal and illegal, what it is 'to live', to 'be living'––to be a human. Without a resolution in sight, I was asked to wait (locked) in a 'female holding room' (cell) after my belt, scarf, shoes, jacket, bags and phone were removed from my person, and searched. 'What's this?' 'a book on Rembrandt', 'What's this?' 'coffee beans', 'What's this?' 'dirty underwear', 'What's this?' 'my diary'. He looked more bored than I was worried.
Five hours later, spent of adrenaline, having somewhat enjoyed the telling of my life story for the small moments of clarity that surfaced, and with absolutely no interest in actually entering the country, they released me so I could enjoy Christmas in Dorset as I'd promised Al we would. Sure, I thought, Dorset is probably nice, but London––am I done here? The whole thing might just have cured me.
The next day on Holloway Road amid the grey, wails and body fluids, I saw this drawing on a hoarding. The system is abusing the gaping wound in our sides. But at least out here it's organic madness. Of course the madness of the security complex and detention system in the UK is better demonstrated by those with bigger issues than an administrative fuck-up by their sponsor university. To get an idea of the hypocrisy and infringement of human rights, I highly encourage watching this short film.
Working Illegally from Standoff Films on Vimeo.