“Sorry I can’t meet up with you today, my husband is being arrested.”

Sarah, the kids, and I were driving home from the store and I decided to avoid traffic by going a different route. Bad decision--I ended up getting arrested.

The road we were on ended up taking us the opposite direction from where we wanted to go, so I took a left at the first stoplight. That narrow road only led to the Ghana Police Training Station where I promptly turned around and headed back out. Two police officers waived me over to the side of the road. I first thought we were being pulled over because Spencer was sitting on Sarah’s lap in the front passenger seat. Nope—they couldn’t have cared less about child safety, which confirmed my understanding that there are no seatbelt/child safety laws here.

They asked for my license and told me to turn off the car. Then they told me to get out of the car because I was under arrest. I asked why, and they said because I was making an illegal U-turn on their premises. I apologized and said I was lost, and that there was nowhere else for me to turn around but in their parking lot, which was true. They said, “The sign says no U-turn, get out of the car!” I asked if I could leave the car on since my wife and kids were in the car, the A/C was on, and it was a hot day. They argued about it for a split second and then said I could leave it on. So I got out of the car and followed them.

They first showed me the very small “no U-turn sign” which was posted on a barricade off to the side of their turnabout. Then they led me into the office and started to process me. They said I was going to court and started scribbling something on a piece of paper. I quickly asked how I could avoid going to court. Thinking back on it, this is exactly what they wanted all along. They didn’t want to take me to court, all these two officers wanted was a quick buck. And my white skin told them I could pay. They said I could pay the fine, which was $50. I said, “Eh, that is too much!” They then asked how much I was willing to pay. Knowing that I had $100 in my pocket, all in $20 bills, I knew that $20 was the lowest denomination that I could present to them. So I offered $20. They quickly smiled and accepted. I immediately pulled a single $20 bill out of my pocket, and handed it over, upon which, they returned my license and I was free to leave.

Although an unnerving event, I feel pretty lucky to have gotten out of there only paying a $20 fine. And I know the story illustrates some of the truths about living in Ghana: 1) The police here are corrupt. They usually just want to find a way to make a quick buck, regardless of justice being served. (I have two friends who’ve lost $6,000 in rent to a Ghanaian landlord to underscore that point.) 2) I’ve learned to always carry money in different pockets when I go out. The reason, everything in Ghana is done in cash, and if someone robs you, or the police stop you, you never want to reveal how much money you actually have on your person or they’ll take it all. I’m so fortunate that I could just remove one $20 bill from my pocket without having to remove an entire wallet or wad of cash. For those of you at home, try practicing this skill. It may save you in a jam someday. My next skill to learn is how to text on my phone in my pocket without looking just like Matt Damon in "The Departed." 3) Never carry a wallet with you. (see previous point) 4) I think the police here can “arrest” you for whatever reason they want, and in my case, I think they actually had some ground to do it because of my "illegal" U-turn on their premises. Despite the fact that I turned left at a stoplight and had no other way to turn around, I doubt a judge would side with me. 5) Carry only photocopies of passports, driver’s licenses, insurance papers, etc… and keep the originals in a secure place. Imagine the leverage the police would have if they had your real license or passport in their possession. Who knows how much that would cost to get back. Thus, I only carry photocopies, and the real things are stored in the US Embassy.

When I got back to the car, Sarah was texting one of her friends, “Sorry I can’t meet up with you today, my husband is being arrested.” She was nervous about the whole thing as well, but did find it a bit more funnier than I did. Looking back on it, it was a very valuable lesson for both of us to experience. Hopefully it will help us navigate those unpleasantries should they occur again. Sarah also says that this will corrupt me for future run-ins with the law in the US after our return. Anyone know what the penalty is for bribing a police officer in the states?