Cricket Fan Complains Of Shoddy Treatment – But Are His Expectations Out Of Line?

Last week, Barbados Free Press received the following email from a Mr. Martin Bryan. We set it aside as we really didn’t know what to make of it, and weren’t sure that our readers would take an interest in Mr. Bryan’s claims. We also didn’t know if Mr. Bryan’s complaint was a one-off misunderstanding.

All that has changed though as we have received several other similar complaints from cricket fans who are having difficulty receiving any help with problems after having purchased Cricket World Cup tickets on the internet. Perhaps some of our readers can offer advice to cricket fans who are having difficulties getting a response from the official CWC ticket seller.

Dear Barbados Free Press

Please see my email below to ticket.info@cricketworldcup.com which is self-explanatory. If this is not misleading, I don’t know what is. I have sent this email on 3 different occasions (Feb 16, 20, 27) and I am yet to get a reply. How many other fans have been conned into this? There would appear to be no recourse as I have tried to contact the LOC here and they refer me to the same email to lodge my complaint. This needs exposing so that all of the other “customers” are aware of this situation. Someone is making a mint on this deal and it definitely is not the fans.

Here is my email:

Dear Sir, in 2006, I purchased 7 party stand tickets (6 super 8’s and final) in Barbados. However, after having gone on the official site this morning, I noticed that you are limited to 8 drinks and a combo lunch. I am accustomed of visiting the party stands in Barbados and Trinidad where you get three meals and unlimited drinks for the day. This info, re the limitation, was never mentioned on the site when I purchased the tickets and therefore I would have assumed that the normal hospitality which I am accustomed to applied, with none of these limitations.

Since the category 3 stand is in the same category as the party stand, what you are saying is that each drink and lunch is US$7.22 which is a complete rip-off! When I booked this, I was under the impression that drinks were unlimited and that there would be 3 meals as I am normally accustomed to. If I had known this, I would have simply bought the category 3 ticket (US$25) and fended for myself where drinks and food were concerned. To place these limitations after the fact is an underhanded move in my opinion as these facts should have been presented before the tickets were purchased. Also, it does not say if there will be premium drinks (which once again I am accustomed to) or not. I look forward to your prompt reply.

Regards,

Martin Bryan

UPDATED: Opposition DLP Approved Cricket World Cup Security Legislation – Source: Dr. William Duguid, BLP Government

UPDATED: DLP Approved The Security Legislation

“If a party wants to officially register their objection they will call for a divide before a bill is passed this means that the bill will ring and all members are summoned in to the chamber the clerk calls your name in turn and you say yay or nay.

This is usually done when a party wants to register an objection. This was not done.

If there is no intent to register an objection then the bill is passed without division.”

… Dr. William Duguid, MP for Christ Church West & General Secretary of the governing Barbados Labour Party – commenting on whether or not Opposition DLP Leader David Thompson and his MPs objected to the legislation that gave powers to foreign soldiers and police on Barbados soil for Cricket World Cup.

Issue Resolved: Our Criticism Of Prime Minister & Opposition Leader Is Valid And Will Remain Posted

We continue to hold Prime Minister Owen Arthur and Opposition Leader David Thompson jointly responsible for the casual manner with which the government passed legislation that impacts serious issues surrounding our national sovereignty.

See our joint letter to the PM and the Opposition leader – featured at the bottom of BFP article Commissioner Dottin Says Police In Charge… But His Statements Show Top-Level Confusion About Chain Of Command)

Original Question As Posed…  

Our original information indicated that Opposition Leader David Thompson and the DLP elected representatives voted FOR the Cricket World Cup legislation that came to a vote around February 27, 2007 or so.

This legislation gave powers to foreign soldiers and police on Barbados soil for Cricket World Cup.

We are now informed by one anonymous commenter that Thompson and his party members voted AGAINST the CWC legislation.

This is an important point for Barbados Free Press, as we published a letter jointly addressed to the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition criticizing both for the casual manner with which the government passed legislation that impacts serious issues surrounding our national sovereignty. (The letter is at the bottom of BFP article Commissioner Dottin Says Police In Charge… But His Statements Show Top-Level Confusion About Chain Of Command)

If the Opposition all voted against the legislation, then we are in error in criticizing Mr. Thompson and his DLP members. (Note: We are NOT in error. See comments from Dr. Duguid above)

There is a total lack of coverage of this important issue in the old Barbados media.

Are any of our readers – including our elected members of parliament who regularly visit BFP – able to confirm that the Opposition voted against the legislation? Where can we find this in writing?

Cricket Security Fiasco: Barbados Police, Mia Mottley And Government Still Don’t Get It! Police Humiliated Themselves

Police Surrendered Their Authority, Humiliated Themselves And Exposed Their Own Incompetence

You Can Only Blame Cricket Committee If CWC Was In Charge Of Barbados National Sovereignty!

The headlines all say the same thing this morning: words to the effect that the Cricket World Cup should apologise to the police for the humiliating search of Barbados police officers by housewives posing as part-time security guards at Cricket World Cup.

At The Nation News, we have the Police Association demanding a public apology from the local Cricket World Cup authorities. The association is calling for “stern action” to be taken against the persons responsible. (The Nation News: Say Sorry!)

Careful, there, officers… better look in the mirror before you start blaming the Cricket security people! They are only part-time amateurs who lacked specific instructions on who was in charge of security and how to do their jobs.

It was the professional police officers on scene who didn’t know the police were supposed to be in charge!

The police submitted themselves to the humiliation because they lacked the knowledge, leadership and judgment to effectively deal with the situation.

To blame are the individual officers, their Inspector and senior management on scene – and Commissioner Dottin and his political masters who failed to clearly delegate and communicate Chain of Command authorities and protocols for Cricket World Cup.

Cricket World Cup People Are Blameless

Any person with military or senior organizational experience knows that there is plenty of blame to go around here – and NONE OF IT lies with Cricket World Cup – unless the government is now saying that the local CWC committee is really in charge of national security and sovereignty?

The police surrendered their authority to the housewives/security guards. They humiliated themselves and exposed their own incompetence.

The question that should be asked is “If the officers knew they police were supposed to be in charge, why did they surrender their authority?”

We submit to our readers that the officers on scene were confused about the Chain of Command and unsure about their authority. For that, the blame must lie with senior police management, the Attorney General and Deputy Prime Minister Mia Mottley – who we hear is supposed to be in charge of security for Cricket World Cup.

Ultimate Blame Must Be Borne By Mia Mottley As She Failed To Clearly Establish Chain Of Command Authorities

Only Blame Cricket People If They Were In Charge Of National Sovereignty!

Mia Mottley is the Chairperson of the CARICOM sub committee for Cricket World Cup Security. She is also Deputy Prime Minister of Barbados and the person delegated by the Prime Minister as in charge. Mottley, above all other persons, was responsible for establishing clear Chains of Command and Authorities, for establishing protocols for dealing with security situations involving multiple partners – and for ensuring that everyone knew the rules from the top on down to the lowest part-time security guard.

It’s pretty basic… someone has to be clearly in charge at every level. Authority delegation is a top-down process and Mia Mottley and her senior police and security management failed miserably on the worldwide stage.

The organization of Cricket World Cup has been amateur hour right from the start. This latest fiasco is merely but another symptom of the chaos.

Leadership? Integrity? Mia Mottley doesn’t know the meaning of the words.

Mama Mia Mottley is doing her best to blame Cricket World Cup part-time security guards, but with every criticism, she slaps herself in the face. She’s just too stupid and incompetent to know that she is supposed to be in charge!

Mia also doesn’t have the integrity or the leadership skills to assume responsibility for the failures, pick up the pieces and fix what went wrong. She could have done her part to take one for the troops – to personally shoulder some of the responsibility. That would have been the honourable thing to do and “BIG L” LEADERSHIP.

You can bet that if no major security incidents occur during Cricket World Cup, Mama Mia will be right up front looking for credit. She can’t have it both ways – to deny responsibility when something goes wrong, but to take the credit for success.

Once Again, We Ask…

When A Bajan Police Constable and A Foreign Army Colonel Have Conflicting Judgments About A Immediate Security Situation In Barbados – Just Who Is In Charge? The Bajan Police Constable or The Foreign Army Colonel?

Ordinary Bajans can’t answer that question, and we would bet that none of our elected representatives can answer it either!

Story Links

Caribbean Net News: Mia Mottley & CARICOM Condemn Search of Police Officers In Barbados

The Nation News: Say Sorry!

Barbados Free Press: Commissioner Dottin’s Statements Show Top-Level Confusion About Chain Of Command

Barbados Free Press: Idiocy As Armed Barbados Police Officers Allow Themselves To Be Searched By Security Volunteers At Cricket World Cup