07 May, 2007

The Fate of Bachelorhood...

Watchmen make a killing out of bachelor tenants

Bachelors can live in Hor Al Anz, Satwa: DM official

In two separate articles the Khaleej Times highlights just some of the challenges being faced by bachelors in the newest form of discrimination being institutionalized in Dubai and Sharjah. I am very curious of what others make of this issue and the attempted erasure from public view of those who actually built this place. (Does my own bias show?) What’s going on? Is it fair? Are there more humane alternatives? Is it actually discrimination or is there something else going on here? Does the fact that the vast majority of bachelors are South Asian matter?

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

and usay dubai and uae doesn't discrimante!!ha!

Female Chauvinistic Pig said...

To be honest I wouldn't want to have 10 bachelors stuffed into a one-bedroom apartment as my neighbors.
This is has nothing to do with discrimination, this is mere desire to have quiet neighborhood and neat building.

Anonymous said...

http://g.ho.st/home/

Anonymous said...

Iraq: Kurdish girl stoned to death, mob films it on cameraphones
Cellphone videos that depict a teenage girl being stoned to death by a crowd surfaced online last week. Statements on the Kurdish website jebar.info claim the incident took place in Mosul, Iraq, and that the girl was Du'a Khalil Aswad, a 17-year old Kurd who was being killed for having had a relationship with a Sunni Muslim boy in a nearby town. These same online accounts indicate that some of the same members of the crowd who were stoning her to death were simultaneously documenting the act on their mobile phones

Welcome to the middle east!



video 1 video 2 video 3 video 4 video 5 video 6

Anonymous said...

http://www.nivio.com/Registration.aspx

ArO said...

I agree with chauvinistic. More so because I do have two apartments crammed with guys on the same floor as mine is. Makes life on that floor way less enjoyable believe me. They're noisy, dirty (can't seem to learn how to use a garbage chute), stare viciously at the women in the building (especially if there are several guys together), cook odd things that make the whole building smell of burned hair. Arrgghh..
So if discrimination there is, it is those guys that are discriminating against themselves.

To Anon@13:08
Sickening videos and people. really disgusting. they should be judged and severly punished(executed would be my idea)
Nature hates void, so in the absence of proper authorities and laws, people (monsters in this case) create their own.
disgusting, really disgusting.
Ah.. and please drop that "welcome to the middle east" thing..no need to generalize what some monsters do on a whole region.

rosh said...

In recent weeks (with much annoyance) I see huge busses with loads of labourers drive and stampede past residential neighbourhoods of Sharjah. The bus, drivers seem to have zero compliance or knowledge of traffic laws and drive rather crazy via narrow suburban lanes in the evenings, when there are mom's and toddlers out for walks and games at nearby by parks.

Some busses unload passengers - who just roam about these neighbourhoods for a while - leave behind cans, bottles, cups and other debris. Some stare at women - wait around, smile and walk away (all in all pretty harmless, but not comfortable).

I don't mean to be selfish or have a cold heart - however the recent rendezvous makes most neighbourhood residents nervous, since we've never experienced such crowd. My neighbourhood is made up of mostly Arabs, fewer Asians, Brits and EU's, and the concern is pretty much across the board.

I don't think every single male in SHJ or DXB is treated this way, because there are plenty of single people in the city, who live in their own apartments as renters and home owners. Yes - they are perhaps the well to do, educated and the "sophisticated" lot. As harsh as it sounds - it's reality in any part of the world.

In a way I agree with FCP - but there has to be better viable options, like affordable low rent housing within the city.

Anonymous said...

one of the interesting things i learned was also how rents discriminate and pretty much force working men to live in hovels. rent for a 10' x 15' room - just a room, not attached bathroom, no kitchen (except out in the hall way) in the Naif area of Dubai is being rented for Dhms. 4,000/month. Basically that means 12 of them have to cram together in order to afford the rent. Unlike a "family" 2 bedroom place in a compound in Satwa which rents for Dhms. 1500-2000/month. The lack of proper, read affordable, housing options forces people to live together and, in some cases, exploits the condition as with the 4000/month rent in deira - it is quite outrageous....

Anonymous said...

oh, and as for the stoning - sick, revolting and inhuman. But Middle Eastern? I'm afraid not. A close friend of mine witnessed a similar act in Latin America - ahhh, those heathen Christians! Though certainly not stoning, what about all the porn videos being circulated of good civilized american guys who hid cameras on their girlfriends or wives while having sex - a serious violation of one's body and well being.

Labeling such acts as "Muslim", "Arab", "Christian", "Asian", or whatever distracts from the real guilty party - MEN! In each and every case it is men who committed these henious crimes. Men need to own up to our culpability.... welcome to patriarchy!

Anonymous said...

I suggest we round up all those 10 groupie bachelors stuffed in a one bedroom apartment and move them into a tent in the desert. That way people will enjoy a quite neighborhood.

After that, I suggest we round all laborers and insist they live in towers they build. That way they'll not drive in buses past residential areas in Sharjah. That way, they'll refrain from littering all those classy neighborhoods in Sharjah by leaving their cans, bottles, cups and other debris, as well as not stare at women.

These are not human beings, we are!

I wonder!

Anonymous said...

female chauvinistic pig,

While I completely agree with you, I don't see how that means 'bachelor'. I used to live alone. I make a decent living. I don't share -- I like my privacy. So what now? I would have had to live in an industrial area because I'm not married? That's ridiculous!

I am (happily) married now. My current landlord demanded that I provide him proof of my marriage before I could get a contract. No problems. Then I later find that not only do we have 'bachelors' but a few apartments reserved to prostitutes (although the watchman emphasizes that they don't bring their business home!).

So, to me, this is all bullshit. The municipality/landlors/etc. can be strict about how many individuals live in a certain amount of space. I don't care if they are a family, a bunch of guys, girls, whatever. That, I'm all for.

I do remember that landlords around our campus in the US didn't like renting to Indians. In fact, they often rejected them. Many would go out saying how racist they are. The simple fact is, they are used to living in confined spaces together. They save a lot of money. A landlord generally doesn't like that because his other tenants won't be too thrilled to move in.

Makes sense.

Anonymous said...

Could someone please define what a "bachelor" is.
If they are all from outside the country. One way to stop the problem from getting worse is to stop them from comming in. The second send them back. Since they are not wanted why suffer and make them suffer as well. This is unless there is some foolish notion of better/competitive wages and humane working condition or let market forces dictate the wages.

John B. Chilton said...

Workers on work visas are not allowed to have their families with them if they earn below a certain amount. And there are a lot of low-wage workers. A lot.

Anonymous said...

Here is an innovative solution, lets segregate the city along racial, ethnic and income lines. Then build walls around all these neighborhoods and call them gated communities.

Problem solved... :/

ArO said...

so much depressing posts by so many depressed people..Dubai what did you do to us?

RuLeS: To LiVe YoUr LiFe said...

its not out of choice that bachelors live that way .. if the govt is so concerned about creating a nice and safe place why do they let so many bachelors in the country ..

like last week those buggers put up a notice on our door asking us to vacate in a month ..

and for the comment above me ...

well we've already been segregated that way ..

jumeirah for the europeans and arabs
satwa for the philipino's
bur dubai for indians
deira for chinese, indians and africans :)

RuLeS: To LiVe YoUr LiFe said...

like these guys are already going through a lot of crap ...

u should see the inhuman conditions that people living in bunkers in deira face ... the place is full of bed bugs and stinking .. when they sleep there's no place to walk.. they share a loo with 20 other people ..

and now they'll be shifted off to industrial areas...

like i recently went house hunting and my experiences only make for laughs back home ...

B.D. said...

The situation for "bachelors" really is unfair and I think it shows a high degree of insensitivity among others, including families and women, who can only complain about being stared at. Instead of stares how would they like being forced to share their very bedroom with strangers as these guys have to. Those of us who are fortunate to have flats and residences of our own should give these guys a break. If the stares are so bad then "you" who can more afford to shift should go and find a new place. Nobody's doing enough for these guys. The government should not be passing edicts to evict them unless suitable housing for them can be found elsewhere.

Anonymous said...

Lots of complaints that bachelors move into the locality or building and spoil it. Is it not true that the these guys move in only when the locality or bldg has lost it? Its then time for the truly classy people to move to better places and there are plenty of decent places around. This will not only put an end to this conflict but will also boost the economy of the country by helping the new pretigious projects. Be positive and act folks its healthier than being negative and cursing!!!

rec dubai said...

The relevant issue that we must face is the rental fee . If a person earns 2000 dhs , how can he rent a place on his own or even with a few room mates?

WE CANNOT AVOID HAVING MORE PEOPLE IN ONE ROOM BECAUSE THE SALARY THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING ARE NOT AT PAR WITH THE RISING PRICES OR THE HIGH STANDARD OF LIVING IN UAE.

Anonymous said...

ok to end ur feud , in the United states where Ibn Battuta is from , this is not allowed , so why does he want it allowed in UAE!!!
plus labour being underpaid is everywhere but in other countries they become homeless lool
IBn Battutta how does the great USA deals with this issue please teach us !!!

Anonymous said...

You think that is bad....

Try bieng an African single male looking for housing. Doesn't mattter the size of your wallet. If you can't buy your own home, good luck getting sharing!!

On the upside, elevator rides are peaceful as most 'ladies' will not ride with you.

Anonymous said...

You wanna ride ladies in the elevator?

Shouldn't they be riding you?

Anonymous said...

Imagine the diseases being spread among people due to the crowded living quarters.

Anonymous said...

To your info USA has around 6% unemployment which is around the natural rate of unemployment(Nothing). Many homeless people decided to leave their homes and live this way,due to family or career problems, yet as a percentage from 400,000,000 people its obselete. They were not forced to live on the streets!! Don't compare homeless bumms to hard working majority that can't pay there rents. It seems defensive commentors have a minor knowledge about the western world. Blue color people in the West earn a good living, sometimes better than office jobs.

Anonymous said...

Just spare a thought ... can we do without these guys. If we can then they sent back wherever they came from. If they are indeed essential then they should be treated with respect, as human being! All the comfort that we enjoy is fruit of their toil. We would be making a grave mistake if we thought they are not as cunning as ourselves and thus deserve what they get. We may pay dearly for this on the day of judgement!

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