To Tint or Not to Tint?

That is the question. An interesting e-mail came out yesterday from security explaining that the Nigerian Government has come has come up with yet another tactic to cause problems for drivers here in Lagos. Effective yesterday, if anyone has dark tinted windows, they will be stopped by the police on the streets. When the driver is stopped, the police will tell the driver and the passengers in the car that they are violating the new law and they are being arrested, or if they cooperate (a.k.a. pay money directly to the police to look away) they will be let go. So, I guess the answer to the question is...

Option 1: yes, you can tint your windows...but you'll probably have to pay a large fine or go to a Nigerian jail

Option 2: or remove the tinting on the windows.

Which one do you think we picked?

Yeah, we removed the tinting...I am WAY too high maintenance to make it more that one minute in a Nigerian jail!!!:) When I walked downstairs to take Jeremy to school this morning, the smell of gasoline was everywhere. That was the only thing the drivers could find that would work to remove the tinting from the windows. You can imagine how it smelled in the car itself...I still have a head ache from the fumes. Our windows were black yesterday...and now are clear.

It is funny when I was going to school in the car today, I felt really vulnerable. I never would have thought twice about not having dark windows in the states...but there is something about people being able to see me in the car here....not to mention the kids.

Unofficially, the rumor is that the federal government "big men" as they are called here were the only ones who had dark tinted windows for a long time. Recently, everyone started tinting their windows. The "big men" here didn't like that because that was one of the ways they were distinguished as important...so now, they are calling for the removal of all tinted windows of cars....but we'll just see how long it takes them to have theirs removed.( I'm thinking never.)

The police are saying the removing of the tint is for their safety...but I just wonder if now ours is being compromised...