From Adrianne Philippou's column in the Cyprus Weekly :

The Ugly Side of my City

Something ugly happened to me this week and I want to share it with you all.
I sometimes drive along a narrow cut-through trying to avoid Limassol's busy St Nicholas roundabout which can be a nightmare at peak times. This little side road is usually quiet, although invariably a tight squeeze due to the badly parked cars positioned by inconsiderate drivers on the kerbside. Consequently I was driving slowly. Seeing a motorcyclist coming straight towards me up ahead I stopped my car, uncertain where he was planning to go; I had parked cars on my left and the kerbside on my right. Not enough space for both of us to pass each other. He had just passed a lay-by in the narrow road which, had he pulled into, would have enabled me to pass so he and his passenger could have continued their own journey unhindered. As it stood, I had nowhere to go, and neither did he. He beckoned me to drive on. I wouldn't. Impasse.
I switched off my engine and got out to show the gentleman (?) the lay-by, to ask whether he would reverse his bike a little to let me pass. A few sarcastic comments followed from both the driver and his passenger about my driving, together with a 'go back to where you came from' jibe at my heritage…er, Cypriot actually. So at this point I thanked him for his gracious and chivalric manners in an equally sarcastic tone, and decided to call the traffic police to sort this out. In fact, realising I was not going to budge, he did edge a little to his left, I then edged a little to my left and somehow we got through.
But what really shook me up was within a minute of leaving this scene I was flagged down by a police motorcyclist. He pulled me over, all flashing lights, threatening gesticulations and menacing stares. It certainly wasn't my call that had prompted this visit, I'd barely put my phone down to the traffic department so I had no idea where this cop came from. Then it became clear. The couple on the motorbike pulled up alongside the cop, chatting; clearly this man had called his mate, the big burly policeman, to show me a thing or two.   
Demanding I show my licence the cop grilled me for it being an EU as opposed to Cypriot licence. The rudeness continued, abrupt, aggressive, hostile, not waiting for my answers, ignoring  direct questions I asked of him, turning his back on me, talking to the man on the motorbike as if I was invisible…frankly all that was missing was handcuffs, being frisked and whisked off to the station.
I was furious. I was shocked. I was frightened. It worked. Nepotism in its ugliest guise and I had just been 'done'. I didn't realise till I got home quite how upset I was. I called the Traffic Police HQ and reported the incident. A follow up call from HQ informed me the cop had been spoken to, and by the way, he wasn't a traffic cop. Great, just doing a friend a favour then? Such intimidation is totally unacceptable. It needs to be stamped out at every level in our society. It's not the first story of its type and I know, sadly, it won't be the last. But unless every one of us demands change, this is exactly what we can continue to expect from our 'system'. It stinks. I for one demand change.