Singing the correct song or loudly clearing your throat might just be enough to save your life in certain volatile communities in the Corporate Area.

Men from certain areas have being using 'ghetto signals' as a reliable way of differentiating residents from intruders during times of war.

Whether it be defending themselves or their turf from other gunmen or defending themselves from the police, these men say the signals have been helpful.

Although there are several different signals, they all mean one thing - "Don't shoot, I'm on your side!"

Men from a small lane in an eastern Kingston community say persons who wish to enter unharmed at nights, must 'clear their throats' - of course loud enough for the persons guarding the community to hear. The men claim they have ordered everyone who passes through the lane to use this signal.

The men who say they remove the streetlights along the lane during 'wartime' also claim that they have to remind passers-by of the ritual from time-to-time, as they sometimes forget. "Is fi dem own good, di lane dark more time eno, wi wouldn't waa deh pon di ends an a one man bus di corna an man get frighten an a ting kick off," one 'warrior' said.

'Friendly fire'

To show just how important it was to use the prescribed signals, one man from a western Kingston community admitted to THE STAR that on one occasion he was on the giving-end of 'friendly fire'. He clearly remembers the day he accidentally shot his friend. "...A we an di bway dem from cross suh did a battle it out, me did a hol off a corna one late night and warrior did a hol off di top. Mi hear some footstep a tear dung di place a cum inna my direction, so mi jus squeeze off one as di man bus di turn. A afta him get di one piece him shout out seh a him."

The man claimed that if his "partner in crime" had shouted out the agreed signal; 'bomb a drop' he would not have been shot.

In an area in upper St. Andrew the residents have an interesting method to identify their own. The men say their signal is normally the chorus of a popular song. As silly as this might sound, they say everybody in the area normally cooperate.

They claim that during times of tension, various passers-by can be heard singing and deejaying while walking along one particular avenue.

In some other communities in western Kingston, that are affiliated with the Jamaica Labour Party, it is common practice to say 'shou' or 'showa'. "A jus di link eno, a so di ting set since long time suh wi jus keep it da way deh." Men from the area also claim they are not the only ones who still practice that greeting. They say their counterparts from rural territories do the same.

Police attached to these communities say they are aware that men indeed use these signals to differentiate themselves from those they are in conflict with, and also to warn of the approach of police officers. He said these signals are changed from time to time.

Superintendent Delroy Hewitt in charge of Western Kingston told THE STAR about some signals with which he was familiar. "...The females in ..... Town normally shout "toss-up" in indication that the police are near," he said.

Supt. Hewitt said individuals can also be heard in other cases shouting "red stripe" signalling the approach of the police or "Heineken" for the soldiers.