CSI: Singapore

I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later.
After all, what was one to think when he/she spots someone lurking around the fringes of a construction site with a tripod and camera at 1am in the morning, taking pictures of apparently nothing?

So, owing to a cautionary phone call by a very concerned resident, I found myself being questioned by 3 police officers last night on what I was doing. And since this wasn’t the first time I’ve had the cops after me, I was rather calm abt it. In fact, to show that I wasn’t some suspicious character looking for the perfect place to plant my bomb (I shd think a nondescript construction site in Yishun hardly qualifies as that), I willingly offered up all my particulars even before they asked. Yet they were not satisfied. Pretty soon, I was informed that Mr CID was on his way to get more out of me just to be extra sure. In the meantime, I was told I cld carry on as long as I dun wander away.

When Mr CID finally arrived, he started probing into my employment history which again I very cooperatively threw up. But the moment he wanted a point of contact within my present company, I became hesitant. I just didn’t think it was fair for me to have them call up Today and check on whatever they needed to find out because the last thing I want is to alarm my present employer and have them wonder if I’ve had some criminal record that I haven’t been honest abt or been involved in some kind of trouble. I shd think this is a valid concern on my part, especially since I’m now employed only on a trial basis. So I said this straight to his face.
Fortunately, he appeared to have understood and was agreeable to just taking a look at my contract as proof that I wasn’t fabricating the whole thing.
Still, I dun quite believe him, I dunno why. I have a bad feeling he’s gonna go ahead and check up on me anyway without my knowledge. But I assure u, if that shd happen and I shd come to know of it, I’m not gonna let it rest.

Another request Mr CID made which I flatly turned down was for me to hand over my 2 rolls of film to him to develop. I just didn’t think that was reasonable either because I honestly hv my doubts he’s even aware of the difference between negs and slides, let alone confuse him with terms like push 2 stops etc. And if I’m not mistaken, it’s highly likely he’ll take them to his trusty neighbourhood shop for processing - the thought of which I’m just not comfortable with. So I put it to him simply that if there shd be any screw up, then all wld be lost and that I hope he’ll see it from my point. Well thankfully, once again, he didn’t push it any further. Instead, he only asked that I let him have a look at my pictures after I have had them processed later today.

Hence, I will be meeting up with Mr CID once more in the afternoon just to show him my contract and my slides. Hopefully, that will put an end to this episode. And maybe clear the way for me to continue with my project without being subjected to such harassment again in future.

Funnily enough, on the hindsight, I found it quite amusing that both the police officer and Mr CID shd offer the same response when I explained to them that I’m taking pictures of construction sites at night - “Why no flash?!”.

Right.