A Kenyan man, Dennis Mochu Kamau, is ruling international airwaves after the emergence of a video showing him directing traffic using football rules in his job in Qatar.
To avoid using the traditional methods of managing traffic, Kamau, in December 2022, innovated a brilliant idea that necessitated using red and yellow cards, just like in football matches.
“So when the person sees a red card, they are like ‘oh no, don’t give me a red card’ and he goes. And it makes people happy, it is all about World Cup.” he gladly revealed.
Kamau disclosed that he hatched the novel idea to lighten the mood and motivate motorists frustrated by parking and lane guidelines.
“You get to argue with people, every time you stop them, they are in a hurry.
“Maybe they are tired, but now I decided to come with a red card and a yellow card idea,” the traffic officer explained.
In football, a referee shows a yellow card to caution a player against an offence or a foul.
Two yellow cards lead to a red card. However, the referee shows the latter in serious offences like indiscipline or injury-causing tackles.
In Kamau’s model, passengers and pedestrians using the wrong lanes attracted a red card, while those who committed minor traffic offences at the parking bay got a yellow card.
“When the person is in the wrong lane and sees me reaching for my pocket to get a red card, they plead with me to stop and gently revert to the right lane,” Kamau explained.
The traffic officer claimed that the technique always seemed to ease tension and left many people reeling with smiles.
Kamau occasionally employed dance moves in his workstation before slapping traffic offenders with his hilarious cards, which entertained locals and foreigners attending the World Cup matches in the host nation.
He prided himself on coming up with the idea that has been recorded and shared on social media, eventually catching the attention of global media houses, thrilled by his astounding gimmick.
The Kenyan claimed that the card idea came in handy and made the job easier in keeping the never-ending traffic flowing seamlessly.
Kamau, stationed at Al Wakrah, Qatar, was among thousands of workers hired to manage the World Cup tournament. He was tasked with directing pedestrians and drivers attending the matches to designated parking spots.
The matches that kicked off on November 21, 2022, attracted a lot of human and motor traffic.
Most Kenyans were recruited to the Gulf country to work as casual labourers in the airport, hotel, transport and maintenance sectors during the tournament.
A Kenyan TikToker also captured the hearts of football lovers worldwide for directing football fans to a nearby Metro station in Qatar.
Source: kENYANS.CO.KE