The lead story in THE WEEKEND STAR represents quite well the torture bus and taxi operators face on a daily basis.

According to the story, bus drivers who ply the downtown Kingston to Constant Spring route are subjected to a heavy and demanding fee of $25,000 per week by extortionists who make it their job to live off the hard work of others.

This weekly amount easily translates into $100,000 per month and for hard-working persons to lose this amount to thugs, is completely unfair, illegal and downright scary. There is no doubt that these men have families who are dependent on them, and it is sad to know that these children are being robbed by criminals who simply refuse to work.

Extortion has become the career of choice for many young men, who see it as an easy way to make money. They simply wait by the sidelines and demand money that they did not help to earn. It is quite disturbing to know that those who dare to defy their orders are often killed or maimed, making it hard for the others to take a stand.

It is high time that the police take a more coordinated and proactive approach to dealing with extortion as it is clear that instead of being curbed, it is spreading. Not many hard - working people can earn $25,000 a week. Yet these hoodlums do it without breaking a sweat. They need to be stopped.