Borderlands

When I went to The Gambia getting off the plane was like stepping into a warm shower. The humidity was tangible. The air was about as liquid as it was a gas. A little old man came up to us and offered to carry our luggage. I didn't really need his help and didn't like the idea of imposing on him, but we had read the guide book which said it was a good idea. And so it proved. We waltzed through customs while everyone else had their bags and property tossed about in a haphazard fashion. Borderlands can be hazardous to the unwary. When I was a kid I lived in Bow, a bike ride from the docks. At the time, the unions ran the docks and even, some years later, forced the government to release some prisoners they held for union activities http://www.aworldtowin.net/resources/Pentonville5.html . But all was not benign on the docks where there were many corrupt practices. I was reminded of this while watching an HBO/BBC production called Rome, in which the massive Rome docks is brought to a standstill as a result of a war between the various criminal gangs gouging a piece of the action out of the shipping trade. It was instantly recognisable even though it was 2,000 years ago and even though no-one said 'I could have been a contender'.