Joseph Lewis, Gleaner Writer

I found myself yesterday at the official opening of Parliament at Gordon House. It's not an event that I would normally have attended, but this year, I was intent on getting a first-hand view of how the proceedings unfold.

When I arrived at Duke Street, two police officers were erecting barriers. They were using the barriers to block the road to prevent pedestrians and vehicles from entering Duke Street.

What I found surprising was that I was able to pass them, unchecked, and proceed down Duke Street.

I thought to myself, this must have been my lucky day! There I was, a normal citizen entering a supposed 'restricted area' without being stopped by any of the security personnel present.

So then I thought to myself, maybe I could get even closer! Why not? Nobody seemed to notice me, anyway.

I, therefore, made my way by Gordon House and even down to the other end of the road.

This, I thought, would have given me a closer view of what was happening.

I was standing about five metres from another barricade that was being manned by about 10 police officers.

No one approached me

I stopped, looked around and no one approached me. So I went behind the barrier. It was a comfortable vantage point; I spent about 20 minutes there, just observing the event.

Five minutes later, I realised that I was standing where the members of the People's National Party were going to congregate.

This really was my lucky day! Just minutes had gone by and I was already in touching distance of the opposition leader and her party members!

I started to wonder what was the purpose of all the security personnel around, if I could have got so close, so easily.

I thought perhaps I was just having a lucky day, until I looked in front of me and spotted a man standing in the middle of the road. He was not wearing a shirt and was observing the proceedings, unnoticed also.

He was just standing there while the police officers were talking among themselves.

What if he was a sharpshooter with malevolent intentions, or a violent mental patient who had just escaped from lock-up? Nobody seemed to care. So I put it out of my mind and had fun watching the rest of the event, from really nearby.