Bajans Wear Uniforms

In November, we arrived  in Barbados after a long flight tired and hungry. Our first stop after picking up the rental car was Chefette a “fast food” or should I say an “island-fast food” restaurant which isn’t very fast at all.  Speed aside, Chefette is a very popular restaurant especially with my two adult children Ashley and Calvin Glenn. All the workers at Chefette are adults not the teenagers I’m used to seeing at fast food places in the U.S. The women  wore full makeup including eye lashes, shadow and liner, lipstick and blush. They were also wearing colorful uniforms of yellow and purple.

I think most people visiting the island will be surprised to see that all school children wear uniforms. You can easily identify the school they attend by their colors. All of the girls wear dresses, the young boys wear shorts and the older boys wear long pants. The children can ride busses for free as long as they are in their uniform which help identify which school mischievous children attend.

Most of the grocery stores have crime prevention personnel that wear uniforms. One store, Popular, has uniformed security people in almost every aisle. The men and women wear gray security uniforms with combat boots. It’s funny because it still does not stop people from trying to steal. I have read an account of where a man was caught with a block of cheese in the crotch of his pants and  another story of a woman caught stealing 3 bottles of sea moss and 2 boxes of bacon burgers at the Popular Grocery Store.

An unusual site is that all gas station attendants wear uniforms. Unlike the US and most countries that I have visited the vast majority of the attendants are women! It is very unusual to see a woman pumping gas in the US, yet I see it here all of the time.

A uniform that you will not see often is camouflage. In fact, only the defense force can wear camouflage uniforms. They are an impressive force that I have seen on a couple of occasions with their automatic weapons as they patrol at some of the larger venues.  By the way, it is illegal for civilians to wear camouflage on this island. You CANNOT go through customs with camouflage, they will make you change before proceeding! I also believe the police will stop you if you wear camouflage unauthorized. Many years ago, my son wore a  pair of camouflage shorts, both he and I were told by Sandra’s cousin Timothy, it was illegal. Although I really didn’t believe him at that time, I had Glenn change because he was so serious!

I have noticed that Bajans from youth through adults often wear some type of uniform.  Even bank employees from tellers to management wear uniforms. It doesn’t appear that anyone is bothered  because you see uniformed people walking down the streets or riding on the bus all of the time. The parade for the 50th Anniversary displayed all of the many proud uniformed people throughout the island, it was an amazing site to see them marching in the Kensingtom Oval and through the streets to Bridgetown!