Important Notice

It is not my intention to denigrate Saudi Arabia or its people. It’s like everywhere else, there is good and there is bad. I would rather focus on the unusual and the humourous. Offence is not intended.

Politics
“The country is not perfect. The media cannot be trusted, mistreatment of religious minorities is common and there are some that live in fear.” You can decide for yourself whether that statement is about Saudi Arabia, the UK, or any country for that matter.
Religion

To quote the Joker, “Why can’t we all just get along?”

khalas.
That is all I will say about either subject.

Thursday 28 December 2006

The Tortoise and the Harebrained

I'm now used to driving in Riyadh. I don't mind making the occasional improvised fifth driving lane, I beep my horn so much there's a faded patch on my steering wheel and I accept that the agreed stopping distance at 120 km/h is about two metres.
But there is one thing I refuse to get used to. Whilst they aren't peculiar to Saudi Arabia, Riyadh probably has the worst ones I've ever seen. I'm talking about "weavers." You know, the guys that insist on swinging from lane to lane, putting everyone's lives at risk for no apparent gain.
When I go home via what we call Airport Road (why do you guys have two or three different names for every main road?!) I like to get straight into the fast lane and sit there at whatever speed the guy in front of me is doing.
That's exactly what I was doing the other day when I spotted a ridiculous weaver swerving from lane to lane, cutting everyone off and missing the other cars by mere inches. Why don't the police do anything about these guys?
This weaver was just ahead of me when I joined the road at exit 13. A few junctions later he was still just ahead of me. And by the time he headed for his exit? Predictably, he was just behind me.
Harebrained Idiot.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

i can not agree you more about your experience with those saudi crazy young weavers!

Anonymous said...

I live there too, you know what?
Get yourself a Large SUV such Landcruiser
And just simply ignore them… I used to do that and it works great
Especially those "Hyundai accent" people… poor little kids

About that cop how they won't catch'em I don't know what to say, It shocked me
not that am seeing any gotten busted, but it's the law for gods sake

exit 13? these is where I live :o

Randomized said...

yeah .. i had started driving in Jeddah since May 07.
I now tend to watch my side and rare view mirrors even more often than I am supposed to. They come from no where.
It was that near accident that opened my eyes :) when I was driving at 20K and I looked at the rare view mirror and there was no one behind for as far as i could see .. and then as soon i steered an inch left .. there was this big SUV from nowhere with screaching brakes. HORN! and I had to apologise :) because I only have a small Toyota XA.