Some will recall the large, graphic photograph and the accompanying sympathetic article in 'Gulf News' a year or two ago telling the tale of woe about a local youth who was killed on his (18th?) birthday - the very day his driver's licence was issued.
He was killed driving his brand new Porsche, a gift from his father. Needless to say, he crashed after losing control of the vehicle at very high speed, (as I suspect any one of us would have done driving such a car the day our licence was issued).
Nowhere in the article was there even a hint that the writer or editor thought this might be an inappropriate first car for a teenager. And anyone who has lived in the Sandpit for any length of time would not find this at all surprising.
In the interest of fair play, I have to say the the so-called 'Soccer Moms/Mums' - 30-something pink-skinned Western female expatriates - (although in a different league to the local lads who tailgate you at 30 centimetres spacing at 120kph), are some of the worst drivers I have ever encountered on Dubai's roads. I particularly "love" the ones who drive like they're the only ones on the road with their "Baby on Board" sticker in the rear windscreen. Driving anywhere near a Dubai school at drop off or pick up times can be a particularly harrowing experience where you should expect the unexpected as "Mom" drops off or picks up Junior.
The local lads have the excuse, however poor, that they don't know better. These female expatriates DO know better but still drive the way they do - because they can.