It's bad enough that you drive right up my rear end, your lights flashing because any speed under 160kmph dissatisfies you, when there's no room to move over.
It's worse still that when a car suddenly pulls out in front, forcing me to brake, you get so mad that you start literally driving one inch from my bumper, trying to push me off the road.
But the cherry on the fking cake is when a space eventually becomes free, I move out of your way and you overtake, you wind down your blacked-out window, and make an obscene gesture at me.
Yes, Mr Beard-man, in white Nissan Patrol registration Dubai A-7650, you made me so shocked that I dialled 999 straight afterwards. They've given me a number to report you.
Now shall I rise above it, get on with my life, and forget about it? Or shall I ring up and give them your number?
Votes below please.
24 August, 2005
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14 comments:
If the obscene gesture means 'the finger' dial the number now!
Agreed,
You should do so as soon as possible.
I know it's little cowardly, but I'm anxious about doing so, incase he's a VIP local or something.
I can't to be honest be certain of his nationality: I didn't see what he was wearing, other than that he didn't have a keffiyah on, and was of Arabic/Iranian appearance. (Even Afghani at a stretch). There was another guy in the car with him, but it all happened so quickly, they might have both made gestures but I only saw one clearly.
I'm also worried he might retaliate with a "she did it first" thing. I've read stories of expats prosecuted for showing a finger - which is why I would never do it even if I was inclined, which I'm not - but he might claim I did something and they might believe him. Making an "angry" face and mouthing "you could have killed me!" is about as tough as I get...
lol, just give the number. if they cant do anything about it, because of who the person is, usually the police lets u know that... exercise ur rights! oh and if ur too worried of being found out otherwise use a public fone :P lol
Oh - it's the driving that truly annoyed me. The gesture was just the icing on a very unpleasant cake. I don't think I will ring up, because I don't want to end up the target of a hate campaign, in case he's a vindictive type. (I know it's supposed to be an anonymous service, but at the end of the day he had ample opportunity to get my registration number as well - all it takes then is a mate in the force to run a search, etc).
I really do think the police need to do something about this though, the whole tailgating thing. I could even put up with the flashing lights shit if they just kept their distance - ESPECIALLY when they can clearly see there is no room to move over.
I agree with you, SD, I really don't care if someone makes a rude gesture at me, it is the really dangerous driving that gets me. It is more than a little sad that it is easier to get something done about the safe behaviour.
exercise your rights, give him a finger to the police...
his number plate is a piece of crap.
in all likelyhood though you'd achieve more by pounding your fist against the wall rather than calling the police, take this from someone who's brother had 9 speeding fine's within only a few months of getting his license, and went to the traffic dept, paid bills (actually daddy did) and nothing was said, even the fact that he totalled his car wasn't given a turn of the head.
if you're thinking of calling the taxi companies about shitty taxi drivers, just ask any truely honest taxi driver what they'll do, and they'll tell you that they just give them a warning, and unless they get a literal ton of warnings, nothing at all is done.
he gave you an obscene gesture or did he wave his hand around in the air?
i know Person X who confronted someone or something about their driving and they said some pretty demeaning stuff about dubai police.
Person X told police, was made to promise, swear, and then sign his statement. Person Y apparantly got in a whole lot of trouble.
i've heard at least 20 different stories about people giving other people the "obscene gesture" and getting in trouble.
i've been in car with person Z at least 200 times when he gets furious at some idiot and gives them 5-6 different obscene gestures and nothing has ever happened. Also person A (im running out of letters), a westener, was cut off by two local gentlemen, then pushed off the road by them, and they tried to beat him up, unfortunately for 2 said retards, this person is a body builder (not really, but of all the people you could get in a fight with, he would be near the bottom, big bulging muscles and the like), long story short, he wooped the tar out of the 2 idiots, all three were sent to prison, westener dude got out next day, locals had to stay there for however long.
Basically, you are up to the discrepency of whoever deals with you at the time.
Obscene as in "the finger". The middle finger.
then its probably not worth bothering.
once you complain, the other person is likely to accuse you of something or another, and it'll just turn into a he said/she said argument.
I actually envy my sisters reactions to these retards, if anyone flash's, toots horn or anything, she stays in front of them and begins to slow down.
same goes for idiots in car parks who drive within a metre of our car, so we have insufficient space to back out, she takes like 5 minutes to back out then. really pisses people off, but then again, their meeting at starbucks is more important than anyone elses business, and of course, they should have right of way, and all sorts of priorities, because... because... i cant even think of a reason someone could defend themselves with.
Your Man: I have spoken with a defensive driving instructor here, and the one thing that he said that I keep having to remind myself of is that no matter how bad the driving is here, how dangerous, how rude, how hotheaded, it is not going to change in any of our lifetimes.
He said you just have to remember this all the time, and try to stay alive. Because there is no point doing anything else. I still get mad all the time, every day nearly when I'm driving, but I try to remember that: it's not going to change, but I can at least try to stay alive.
And I should have reported him, I know, but I just chickened out what with the personalised number plate.
Which is more important? What the finger means to you or to the sender? If this sender were recipient he would take it as a statement that he is a homosexual and he would take this as highly offensive. Violence is a not unlikely result.
Aside to UAE newbies: It's not a good idea to use the finger here.
Don't rise above it, I got hauled in to the police station for signaling to a guy so he could pull in front of me. Never mind that it was some Deputy General of the Police, and he thought I was flipping him off...during Ramadan...while drinking water in my car at Dusk. Welcome to Dubai, you will never be in the "right".
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