As a public service, I would like to show you a little about the different things that you can expect to see when driving in Kuwait.
Monsters
When you are in a hurry to get from one place to another because you are already late or maybe because you have a fast car and a heavy gas foot, you can always expect a monstrous truck to slow your progress. It will appear in front of you and block your view of the street ahead. It will drive at exactly one half of your regular driving speed and stop suddenly. The truck in almost 99% of the cases be driving on the left hand side, flashing your headlights will not work, it will not budge and will not see you. You give up and try to overtake it from the right. As soon as you try you will find a car blocking you from turning right.
Immortal Bike Rider
You drive happily and see a bicycle rider driving straight towards your front bumper. You think, no one can be that suicidal or so nonchalant about his welfare. That bicycle driver must have the gift of immortality or amazing healing powers like a vampire where only a wooden stake through his heart or cutting of his head off would kill him. These bike drivers are usually from the Indian subcontinent, he must be new in Kuwait and still did not discover that in Kuwait we drive on the right side of the road as opposed to India where they drive on the wrong side of the road.
Show me Blood
There is an accident on the opposite lane, the ambulance is there with its lights flashing. The poor victim is lying in a pool of blood. The lane you are on slows down and stops. It could mean two things, either we have a good Samaritan that want to jump out of his car and donate whatever blood they have to give to their fellow humans, or we have bored drivers that want to see a little blood and get entertained.
Good Samaritan
You approach a U turn coming from the other lane, the cars in front of you stop. What is going on? Is there an ambulance wanting to get through? Did somebody's car break down? Nope, it is the evil good Samaritan, that has taken it upon himself to close your lane so others from the opposite lane can make their U turn. That good Samaritan did not think that you might be in a hurry also because your wife is in the back seat about to give birth and you would like it to happen at the hospital rather than in your car.
Lines on The Street
The lines on the street are not there for decoration, they are there to tell you that you are in the correct lane. Driving over the lines as shown above is wrong. Driving between the lines is right.
I hope this has been of some use to you, and happy driving to all.
LOL. heheheheheheh. I can't stop laughing. heheheh. First the super women then this. Give us a brake.
ReplyDeleteWhen I drive, I feel like the song “murder in a dance floor”. I wish we have a better police serves. Guess not.
Allah e7fethnah.
P.S. Nice work of art.
LoooL I can relate where they happen too :P The U-Turn deffinatley Blajat jidam Sheikha Complex the accident King Fahad express near mishref and bayan exit :P The bikes in Shalehat or Mergab..The truck almost always on F7ay7eel infront of Jabriya (Hadi). Good post
ReplyDelete11th: welcome
ReplyDeletezinzinq8: bike riders can be found in suburban areas like Khalidyah or Adeliyah or Faiha.
hussa: I like things just the way they are, we don't need extra police, just bigger streets and no trucks and busses and wanettes driving around except after midnight.
sty: it happens all over but the places you mentioned especially.
laily: glad you liked it.
Yup yup. Rings a bell. Size of a TSAR bell.
ReplyDeleteAny ideas where Sever is, by the way?
QC: I don't know about Sever, it has been a while. My guess is she has exams or some heavy studying.
ReplyDeleteLOL
ReplyDeletegreat post
I've actually come across all what you've mentioned. An 'Immortal Biker Rider' is the latest that I've been introduced to. That was about last week when I was going to school.
You have to admit, though, that it's fun. Good excercise for anger management. Driving in the streets of good old Kuwait, I mean.
Scarlo: you always need to be cool when driving especially in Kuwait. Just laugh it off and never get upset. Its not cool being in accident because of the stupidity of others.
ReplyDeleteLove the graphix.
ReplyDeletey'know. This subject stired such emotions. I think I can summerise the road situation in Kuwait with one sentence; "Look out for number one, even if it was a couple of meters."
Women are the worst offenders. The way they drive is just stupid. No patience. No manners. No brains.
This I must win at all cost mentality has got to change. But like you said, you have to stay cool and let the people have their fun. Because I certainly do not have the time to teach people manners.
Wow, your post illustrates some major misconceptions about driving - it is all about I am in a hurry get out of my way, so in that sense you are like a lot of drivers here. Stopping to give way to other drivers is an act of courtesy practised in countries with civilised driving habits, which therefore excludes Kuwait.
ReplyDelete