Depressing Tuesday

Another rainy day in Salalah. Kids happily playing in puddles, and others mourning their parents. Yes, more horrific accidents yesterday in this town. Our roads aren't ready for this kind of traffic and most so-called 'adults' out there aren't qualified enough to be sitting behind a wheel in my opinion. Omanis blame the Emiratis. Emiratis blame the Omanis. I blame everyone.  

The number of accidents in Oman this year is just horrific. From January 1st to August 24th, there were 5562 car accidents in Oman, resulting in 740 deaths. That doesn't include the dozen people (at least) who've died in Dhofar since August 24th with the insane tourist rush.

Yesterday a horrible accident near Al Mughsayl in Dhofar killed at least 9 people, 7 of whom were UAE nationals. From the photos, it appears that four vehicles were involved in the collision, a UAE car, an Omani car, and 2 trucks. How fast were these people going? Who was the one irresponsible idiot who caused it? (some say it was the truck drivers, others say it was the UAE driver - in either case the person who caused the death of all those people is either dead himself or will suffer the rest of his life from guilt I hope)

How many dead bodies do you need to see before you realize just how irresponsible and dangerous your driving is?

You being a good driver means NOTHING. It doesn't justify speeding, driving while talking on the phone, not wearing a seatbelt, zooming in and out of lanes without indicating. One TINY mistake and your life (along with the lives of others) is gone. Does life mean nothing to you?

"Inshallah everything will be fine" is complete BS. God is not going to help you if you dont' help yourself. Why should God care about you if you are unable to care about the wellbeing of your fellow humans? Every single time I leave my house, I prepare to die. I drive on the right lane and never go above 80 or 90 Km/per hour. I am constantly checking my mirrors and mentally bracing myself for a collision. Is the driver of that little silver Camry going to be my murderer? What about the young guy in the brand new Toyota Land Cruiser who is tailgating that poor old Indian man? Look! There's an ARMY officer in uniform driving without a seatbelt and holding two phones, each in one hand while trying to manage the wheel with one palm. Surely he's going to kill someone today.

Am I paranoid? No. I've just seen enough dead bodies to remind me that my life is in danger the minute I get on any road here in Oman. Shameful but true. If you are one of those animals who doesn't give a damn about the lives of others on the road, F*** you and your attitude. You are worthless.

Pissed off Gucci.

Salalah Driving - Part (2)

My reader has said it all. This comment on my previous Ramadan Driving post was too good not to share.
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" Hey, as an expat here in Salalah I have to say that this place has the worst drivers of any I've ever seen, including Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Italy, West Africa and China. Well done! .

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WHY can't people here judge distances and speeds of oncoming cars when they pull out?

WHY can't people use their indicators. Do they think that other drivers are psychic and can guess their intentions.

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WHY the hell would you over take on the left a vehicle which is turning to the left?

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WHAT IN THE WORLD makes the people here so addicted to using their mobile ohones while driving? Sure, people all over the world do this, but Dhofaris seem to wait until they get into a car to start phoning people. As a cautionary measure, they'll slow down. on a highway. In a 120km zone. That's safe.

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AND WHAT THE HELL IS IT WITH KIDS. People, your children are precious. They are not protected from car accidents by some magic voodoo. And they distract you. Put them in the back with seatbelts on, not on your lap while driving. And not, as I saw the other day, in the back of your sideless pick-up truck going round the clock roundabout at 60 k an hour. The two children in question here were both younger than 6, I'd say. Maybe their parents didn't want them any more?

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AS FOR THE COMMENTS ABOVE from an outsider's perspective, almost all the problems in this region stem from your menfolk. Women rock! This particularly applies to driving. Every single case of unbelievable stupidity behind the wheel has been a man in my experience. the few women drivers I encounter are cautious, sure, but not unsafe or idiotic or selfish or distracted.

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And I'm sure they didn't aquire their licenses out of a cornflakes packet, which is where I think the majority of Dhofari mens licences come from. Especially those belonging to 12 year old boys and ancient bearded mountain men in pick-up trucks who seem to exist in a parrallel trafic universe.....My rant for the day!! Thanks for the opportunity!"

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Dear Reader, thanks for your rant. You made my day. I was getting around to writing about driving in Salalah, but you've done it for me. However, you forgot to mention the people who flash their lights at you and speed like maniacs, yet you both end up at the roundabout or traffic lights at the SAME TIME. You also forgot to mention the people who pass you on a one-lane road that is no longer than 100 metres, just to get to the intersection before you do. Also, my last rant is about men who proceed to put on their turbans WHILE DRIVING during morning rush hour. They're controlling the steering wheel with their knees on a highway and first they get out their lime-green plastic combs and comb their hair, then they put on their turbans. Sometimes I wish I had ready-made signs in my car that I can wave at other drivers when needed. Examples:.

Sign (1) : would be"LOSER".

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Sign (2) would be "Flash all you like. I'm not moving".

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Sign (3) would be 'Life is precious you jerk".

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Sign (4): would be 'Just because you have a 35,000 Rial Lexus doesn't mean I'm going to let you pass'.

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Sign (5): would be "I.N.D.I.C.A.T.E'

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More suggestions?