A simple fine

Hot on the heels of Abu Dhabi Police giving drivers a 50% discount for fines, Dubai Police has decided to take serious action following reckless driving on Sheikh Zayed Road and award an appropriate fine for endangering the lives of other road users:

"Two motorists who were arrested after shocking videos of dangerous driving in Dubai were posted on YouTube have been fined just dhs1,000 each.
The footage showed a 4x4 vehicle driving down Sheikh Zayed Road on two wheels, while a pick-up truck was performing handbrake turns.
The two Emirati men, thought to be in their 20s, were found guilty of endangering the lives of other road users and were handed the fines by Dubai Court of Misdemeanours today.

The police revealed that the reckless drivers had been part of an organised celebratory procession for fans of Al Wasl Football Club after they won the Gulf Club Champions Cup.
He said that patrols had been at the procession to ensure it happened safely, but they had been at the back of the parade so the cops did not see them."

More here: YouTube drivers escape with a fine (7Days)

EDIT: The National has reported that the court found the police had no case against them for charges of public endangerment.
It also mentions that one of the people is in fact a police officer:

"However, the Dubai Court of Misdemeanours found the 25-year-old policeman, identified as SS, and SG, 20, both Emiratis, not guilty of endangering the public and intentionally endangering motorists."

50% traffic fine discount in Abu Dhabi

Are you one of the crazy people that believed higher penalties for traffic offences were actually starting to do some good? Fear no more, because in Abu Dhabi (this month only) you can pay your traffic violations with a 50% discount!

"The Abu Dhabi police traffic department announced on Tuesday that motorists will need to pay only half of what they owe in fines to the department following a ministerial decree issued by Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.
The traffic departments in the emirate, which include Abu Dhabi city, Musaffah, Al Ain and Gharbia (western region) have extended their working hours from 7.30am to 12 midnight. During the extended hours, only the fines payment section will function.
The sections in Abu Dhabi and Musaffah started following the new timings from yesterday while the Al Ain section will follow the timings from today.
On Tuesday alone, close to 4,000 people thronged the traffic departments to pay fines.
"More than 3,969 people cleared off their fines at the traffic departments in the emirate, inclusive of Al Ain and Gharbia (western region), on Tuesday," said Colonel Khamis Ishaq Mohammad, Deputy Director of the Traffic and Patrols department." --More here: Traffic fine slash leads to huge rush (Gulf News)

In addition, the traffic law has been changed so that every emirate can allow discounts on fines!

"The ministerial decree, No.400/2010, issued by Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, has made a provision in the law for traffic departments in all emirates to extend the traffic fines discount to all offenders should they wish to do so, said Brigadier Gaith Hassan Al Za'abi, Director of Traffic Department, Ministry of Interior." --More here: All emirates 'can allow discounts in traffic fines' (Gulf News)

Here are some interesting blog posts from around the UAE on the decision:
-Sale extended to traffic fines (Life in Dubai)
-No Bad Deed Goes Punished (Abu Dhabi Dispatches)
-Best discount price, Habibi (The Grumpy Goat)

Chef fined 92,000 AED for 1 day expired yoghurt

"A British chef at a restaurant in the Emirates Palace hotel is appealing his sentence for storing a container of expired yoghurt: a Dh92,000 (US$27,000) fine.

Inspectors from Abu Dhabi Municipality found the yoghurt during a routine visit to the kitchen of the Etoiles restaurant and lounge about a month ago.

[...]

His attorney said the food was only one day past its use-by date; court documents do not specify when the food expired. Yesterday PH pleaded with the judge to have the fine overturned."

Article here (thenational.ae)

A Tale of Cars...

Once upon a time, there was a patrol car riding the streets. It hit a car, causing a chain reaction of cars hitting other cars, causing quite a big accident.

The patrol car got angry that it caused an accident, and fined many vehicles parked around the area just because it felt that 'it was their fault' for making the patrol car cause an accident. And the fined vehicles (who had nothing to do with the accident) lived grumpily ever after.

For a detailed story, click here