morons
 

The last 2 posts on the lunacy and stupidity of these locals are spot on.
The "get out of my country attitude" just shows their real colours.
Let them all die ,just please dont kill innocent people.Hey thats a thought ,this place would be kinda nice without them

The solution to local lads killing themselves and others in fast cars is really simple, as with "born again bikers" in the UK the horsepower of the machines they are allowed to drive is physically limited by a shunt in the exhaust system.

That way you can ride or drive any flash motor you want but it has the perfrormance of a shopping trolley!:E

Only trouble is that it will not be applied or enforced.:ugh:

Alwayz

Your Fault Captainsmiffy
 

It is obvious that you caused her to crash, because you were in her country :ugh:and you stopped at a red light.:=

You can't blame anybody when some people who never lived out of their village are racists and idiots. This is valid for any nationality. The lack of education, open mind and experience can easily explain this.
What disturbs me is when I read some comments from expatriates, and especially pilots who are supposed to be little bit more educated, open minded and experienced about the "global village".
If some of you are concerned (I understand why) by SOME local driving skills, it can be expressed in an adult and polite way. When it goes to Darwin selection and that some "stupid local morons that deserve to die" expressions are used, it is pure primal racism which shouldn't be tolerated by decent people over this forum. I just stopped wondering why so unhappy people are still working here, but at least try to express yourself in a way that would show your education matches your profession requirements.
Thank you for your understanding.

So Ria, you are saying that the locals are racists, but that you can't blame them for being racist.

When you try that in the field you are met with abuse and threats from the locals.

More like frustration and fear from the near death experiences at the hand of these local idiots, and the stunning silence from the authorities who are supposed to mitigate these threats. I assure you there are plenty of idiots from our home countries who are worthy of Darwin awards.

Thank you for your understanding.

I had to laugh yesterday (because noone was hurt), local in 4x4 tank ignores fact that I'm on the roundabout 5 feet from him as he pulls out without a single glance.. ( its why i drive automatics,, foot always hovering by brake). 10 seconds later he is wiped out on other side of roundabout by another local driving a bigger tank, who also didnt bother looking before driving on.. classic.

I get rear ended and the pink slip ( his fault , but he speaks the language), I call that racism

LR3 I know exactly how you feel

One death is a tragedy; a million is a statistic. -Joseph Stalin

There are all kinds of drivers here in Dubai. Todays news paper talks about 5 deaths in just one accident involving a van. The other day it was a pedestrian. All these tragedies end up as a statistic, which has no effect on the general public driving here. I simply dont understand the need for speed! I lost a friend in a car accident, and know of a girl who's still learning to walk after 2 years of her horrific accident.

First of all your wording is not acceptable to me, and for your information I'm not local. I already witnessed a lot of road accidents involving drunk drivers and there is nothing smarter or less dangerous in this driving attitude that probably exist in your own country. Local drivers are not more or less dangerous just on an origin basis and I'm sure you are not stupid enough to mix these things. Same applies to European drivers. Some of them are dangerous drunk criminals, some not. No matter you smoke shisha or drink beer, stupidity has no nationality, and please don't be so proud to enjoy the death of anybody, that's so mean !

How can you be facing a truck if you are on a normal path ? Munsandam is a nice place that has to be reached at a peaceful pace, I don't understand how you could be pushed to choose between dirt and truck if you were not overtaking a car.

By the way there is no road on the way to Munsadam where you can legally drive 130 kph... do you mean you were speeding ?

sispanys ria - while I don't agree in whole with LR3's wording or opinion, your head is in the sand if you cannot understand how someone can be driven off the road. Can you not see that if someone in the opposite direction overtakes, he can leave you with no place to go except for the ditch or the wrong lane???? Equally someone in your direction could overtake YOU, then brake for no good reason, again leaving you with a choice of hitting the back of him, hitting the ditch, or driving into the wrong lane.

While it would be wrong to say that all locals are bad drivers, it is equally wrong to regard drunk driving as the sole excuse for deaths on the roads here. The vast majority of expats would not dare drive when drunk, even if they would happily drive after 2 pints of beer in their homes countries (where that is usually just under the legal limit).

How about taking a step back and realising that bad driving is a problem here, and powerful cars in the hands of inexperienced drivers makes that problem worse. Some nationalities appear more willing than others to tailgate at speed, turn without looking or signalling, and to drive in an aggressive fashion. However much we may wish to avoid that conclusion and the inevitable stereotyping involved, the evidence is reinforced every day.

Scooby, when I mentioned drunk drivers I was referring to foreign countries where lots of people are also dying on the roads, not because of crazy driving but for alcohol. I just meant there is no point to say that a guy is more dangerous than another just because one is from UAE while the other might be a nasty european boozer.

I am not pretending that LR3 wasn't pushed out of the road, I just asked for more info to understand how he could be pushed to face a truck and exceed speed limits because of this mighty local driver...

Well, bad as drunk driving is, apparently it's not as bad as bad driving.
This is a copy and paste from Drive and Stay Alive -- Home Page


If you remove the deaths caused in Europe and the USA by drunk drivers and assume (this is a huge assumption, and frankly I include it more for amusement than anything else...) that NONE of the deaths in the UAE were caused by local drunk drivers, then the UAE fares even worse in this comparison.

If you want to look at the numbers it's also interesting to check the evolution.
The number of registered cars in UAE reached 1 million in 1999 with 9000 crashes and 900 deaths.
End 2007 we had 1,7 millions of registered cars, 6800 crashes and 830 deaths.
In addition, since the 1st of march and the increase of minimum fine in Dubai, the amount of deadly accident decreased by 14% (compared to other Emirates).
It takes time to change bad habits, but I'm not sure western countries did evolve faster.
30 years ago being drunk or not wearing the seat belt wasn't a problem in Europe.

It ishan indispotable fact that drinken......drunken driversh cause 19.772% of all road accshidents. Shurely thish means you sober buggers should get off our roadsh and leave us in pieces.......peace? We have way less accidentsh than you lot!

P.S. My boss din't know I drank until I shobered up once!

Five dead on SZR. But according to the chief of police or whatever the title here is, it is the fault of company that hired the driver. You see if THE COMPANY had just given proper instruction and education to the driver (rest his soul) all would be ok. No mention by the head gumba of the police that if there were some decent law enforcement on the roads.....Oh well, ain't never goin' to happen. Just shift the blame. But all hell breaks loose if a couple is found to be engaging on the beach in "inappropriate behavior"...front page news, editorials, letters to the newspaper. But carnage on the highways...biz as usual.

Ya'll be careful out there, ya hear.

I find it hard to believe anyone is defending the driving practices of many people in Dubai.
Syspa.. you state, ''Local drivers are not more or less dangerous just on an origin basis and I'm sure you are not stupid enough to mix these things.''

I know for a fact that driving skills and attitudes are often a direct result of 'origin basis'

Even the statistics prove it. What was the latest??..... 15% Emirati drivers and 80% involvement in fatal accidents. This is not one of those statistics manipulated to lead to an otherwise contestable opinion. It is irrefutable evidence of what any sane individual who has experienced driving in Dubai, already knows. I would even wager that the TRUE statistics are much more conclusive.

As far as drinking and driving goes in other countries.......... It is not only socially unacceptable (which says alot), it is illegal. In Dubai, it is socially acceptable to drive like a moron.

There are 2 reasons this Dubai attitude must be addressed. And I believe it is ALL about attitude by the way.
1. They are killing innocent people each and every day in Dubai.
2. They are killing themselves and in particular their youth.

I am not talking just about the inability to remain in the center of one's lane, or the lack of use of indicators, or the barging into any space available even if it delays or hinders an entire line of traffic, or the overall lack of courtesy. I am also referring to the erratic lane changes at high speed, the lack of knowledge regarding basic physics of a vehicle and yes I'll say it again, ATTITUDE !

It is true though that expats (sadly usually expat wives) drive in Dubai in a different manner than in their homeland. It is a temptation hard to resist for some. Rudeness and ignorance breeds more rudeness and ignorance. If anyone demonstrated the Dubai driving attitude in my homeland, they would eventually get dragged from their car and taught a lesson. Of course it usually would not get that far as the Police would have done their job already.

The only thing that will change driving in Dubai is if the Police watch for, apprehend and then arrest or charge individuals who are putting themselves and others at risk due to their stupidity. Due to the 'CLASS' system in place, that will never happen.

The problem is ATTITUDE. The answer is ENFORCEMENT. Neither of which will change in the foreseeable future in Dubai.

Syspanis Ria, I truly hope that no one you know or love gets killed by one of these idiots on the road. I know you would be questioning your beliefs when the cops handed YOU or your family the pink slip as the ambulance drove away.

Synapsis, I will give you credit for sticking to your guns but it is defending the indefencible. You can argue that evolution takes time and that other countires took years to solve their traffic deaths and you would be right. But the UAE has the benefit of that evolution but choses to ignore it and do it all again for themselves.

There are three main causes of motor fatalities around the world (ignoring IEDs) Alcohol, Fatigue and Speed. In the UAE the first cause is greatly minimised by the law and the punishment for breaking it, the second is a function of geography, generally speaking drivers don't drive far enough on a regular basis for it to be a factor. That leaves the three main causes in the UAE as Speed, Speed and Speed. If the influence of drinking can be minimised by the law why isn't there the will to slow these jokers down by the same means? Perhaps a fatalistic culture would explain some of it.

I don't agree that speed is "one of the three main causes" of road deaths. Innappropriate speed is certainly a killer. I would feel a great deal safer though, if the police would deal with unsignalled and unnecessary lanes changes, unsafe pulling out from intersections, barging into spaces that don't exist prior to the barging, slowing down to 40 km/h in the middle lane of SZR/Emirates Road while trying to work out if this is the right exit, etc etc etc, rather than just putting up the odd mobile speed camera.

I saw the aftermath of the 5 x fatal accident on the Al Gahroud Bridge approach road two days ago quite soon after it occurred. Not to speak ill of the dead - (I'm asuming the driver of the minivan was one of the dead - if he survived, with roof of the van ripped completely off, I'd love to know how) - but I've had some bad scares on more than one occasion by minivan drivers who were driving, with a 8-10 passengers on board, like absolute maniacs. (I could have ended that last sentence totally politically incorrectly, if accurately, by saying "...like locals".)

I may be completely off target here when I say that I suspect so many of these bus drivers drive this way because they're under totally unrealistic "get to destination by xxx" deadlines by their employers and probably get penalised if they are late. Can anyone refute this?

Though LR3's wording may not be sufficiently PC for some his sentiments and emotions are completly understandable.

Having had a local guy leave 35m skid mark on Al Wasl before remodelling the back of our minivan(that we were stopped in at a RED traffic light:ugh:)

After I was given the pink slip :hmm: he had the gall to say how glad he was that we were all ok! How thoughtful and kind.

Had a local FO show me,very proudly, a video of him doing 300kph in his 'Vet..............I know it was 300kph as he was filming the speedo as he was driving the flipping car, Jeez.

He was somewhat surprised by my reaction after I watched it when I told him that he was an F' ing Tw#t and to get something alot slower before he killed someone.

But to be fair to the young lads and lasses who have these super quick motors, if I could have afforded and insured one when I was 19 I would have got one too, thank God I had no money then:E.

LR3 I agree with your right to be pissed off. I'm just trying to prevent confusion since locals can also be very dangerous in Dubai when they are over 60 and drive below 60... Just keep the things at a smart level without making any generalization and avoiding inappropriate offending wording.

The dangerous young local driver's issue is a fact, I was just trying to keep the things reasonable before we blame them for driving cars.

What's with the pink slip crap that everyone's getting. If someone rear ends you, it's their fault, regardless of nationality. It's happened twice with my wife and both occassions the other drivers got the pinkee! ( one a local & the other a Lebanese)

A similar thing happened last year to a friend when he was shafted (literally), but he refused the pink slip and insisted it be dealt down at the station. It was and the slips were changed after a little shouting by the senior station officer. Most police that pitch up are too afraid to cause a stink so side with the local or, in some cases, Arabic speaker.

Unless you're in a hurry, stand your ground. The message might eventually get through!

To be honest, my few dealings with the police have not been a problem. They were courteous and efficient. Maybe I was lucky.

You outta watch out for those Lebos rear ending your missus Habib.... http://www.clicksmilies.com/s1106/gr...smiley-024.gif

SyB :zzz:

Young locals driving like madmen is nothing new to Dubai. Long term Ppruners might recall 'The Caravan', which used to be on the Humour Page (when PPrune had one). 'The Caravan' was written a LONG time ago. Here's an excerpt about "phor-wheal-dryves":

The only time you'll find a car driving slowly on Sheikh Zed Rd is when the driver is too deep into his (or all too often her) phone conversation to maintain warp 5 speed, and it would appear to be obligatory to wander from lane to lane as you gesticulate with your free hand - (i.e., the one not holding the phone - the one that should be holding the ****ing steering wheel!). To prove that that is no a new problem either, the ancient scroll that was 'The Caravan' mentioned that as well.

The Caravan........what a classic! Particularly it's description of FOs:

Yasser Wateverusay smiled his most ingratiating smile. "Sire, the effoh beith the poorest excuse for a man - the lowliest of lowly castes that willst worketh for the scraps and leavings fromst Thy table. However, they beith a necessary evil on every caravan."

"Effohs. We have heardeth not this strange name before. Whence commeth it frometh?"

"Sire, the effoh beith the caravan's effluent orderly."

"Effluent orderly? Dost thou meanest he collecteth the **** from the autocamel?"

"Yea, Sire, but not just from the autocamel. The effoh's lot in life beith to taketh **** from all quarters as he walketh close behind the autocamel in the dust."

:}

Please, please, somebody either post it in full or give us a url!!!

That took some translating for me!! How very true though.. some things will never change around these parts eh? :ok:

Wiley :D

Thank you for reminding us of the Caravan once more!
Can we have the rest of it sire?

A welcome break from the subject that rules our lives and indeed has changed that of many. I personally sport a titanium femur courtesy of one of these village idiots loosing control of his car at high speed, wiping out a cyclist and finally ploughing into my car travelling in the opposite direction. No, it has never been to court, even though the unfortunate cyclist is no longer with us...I guess it is the 'class system' another poster alluded to or perhaps simply tribalism, to put it nicely. Incidentally that occured in Bahrain so the UAE is certainly not alone here, everything you all describe here happens over there, it exactly the same by all accounts.

Cheers

I understand the original is still in the PPrune archives. Perhaps someone a bit more computer literate than I am could find it and post the URL here.

Or better yet, Danny might be convinced to surrender a bit of bandwidth and re-instate the Humour Page.

Re-reading 'The Caravan' today, I'm amazed at its timelessness. Delete Ozmates and insert Seppos and it could have been written two weeks ago (although with McDonald Douglas now gone, 'Parmbeich sur Mer' [Palm Beach by the Sea] might require translation for the young'uns.) Ceeaddlewash and Wun-twoloose are still with us, as are the Parkhir bin Phen tribe.

And of course, Marcel Hard Sell and we cameleers:

I have made a sticky of the 1st scroll Wiley. Perhaps we could try and find out there in the sands, a new scroll, with updated details. It needs to be discovered.

Also found this which may amuse :E

:)HANDBOOK FOR DRIVING IN DUBAI:)

1. If your road map is more than a few weeks old, throw it out and get a new one.

2. If you are in Rashidiya and your map is one day old, then it is already obsolete.

3. Forget the traffic rules you learned elsewhere. Dubai has its own version of traffic rules, which can be summarized as "Hold
on and pray!"

4. If it is your priority to cross, forget it and wait.

5. There is no such thing as a dangerous high-speed chase in Dubai . Everyone drives like that.

6. When you plan to get a new car, ask first about its acceleration from 80 to 160 Km/h (recommended: 3 seconds). Very

important if you frequently use the Emirates Road

7. All directions start with Sheikh Zayed Road , which has no beginning and no end.

8. The morning rush hour is from 5:00 AM to 1:00 PM, The evening rush hour is from 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

9. Thursday's rush hour starts Wednesday morning.

10. If you slow down at a yellow light, you will be rear-ended and then given a ticket by the Dubai Police.

11. If you are the first one at the intersection, when the light turns green ignore the car honking behind you and count to five to
avoid crashing into one of the cars running the red light in cross-traffic.

12. Construction on all main roads is a way of life and a permanent form of entertainment. (Sorry for the inconvenience)

13. All unfamiliar sights are explained by the phrase, "Oh, we must be in Sharjah!"

14. Car horns are actually toys for big boys.

15. Anyone in a Land Cruiser, Tuned Patrol, or Mercedes with tinted windows has the right of way. Period!

16. If you are driving a Corolla, Sunny, or another small Japanese car, stay on the far right lane. No comment!

17. Most roads mysteriously change names as you cross intersections.

18. To ask directions, you must have good knowledge of Hindi/ Malayalam

19. A trip across town will take a minimum of four hours, although Sheikh Zayed Road has an unposted minimum speed of 150
Km/h.

20. It is sobering to realize that local Arabs are taught how to drive by Pakistanis.

21. 18 wheeler trucks are one of the fastest vehicles in Dubai; they can do 120 Km/h on Hatta-Oman Road when fully loaded.

22. The minimum acceptable speed on the Emirates Road is 160 km/h. Anything less is considered downright sissy.

23. Al Khail Road is Dubai 's daily version of NASCAR RACING.

24. Dubai Autodrome has a new extension: The Emirates Road.

25. WELCOME TO THE UAE!

only 300!
 

He must have been off the gas a tad- I've had mine to 330 and increasing - but got scared after about 15 secs at that speed - but it was out on the open road with no one else around...couldnt do that anywhere else in the world with out going to jail. Been here almost nine years and agree that the roads are deadly - but cant see anyway to fix it really as too much revenue comes from speeding fines to want to take folks off the road permanently for being stoopid. Woodj