Andrea had told us about the traffic when she first went to Abu Dhabi. She said the taxi drivers were insane and she had more than one wild ride in a taxi but she said, “Really, Mom, you can’t describe it. You have to experience it!” And she is right!!! If you can imagine the traffic on Interstate 285 in Atlanta and the traffic on the Beltway in Washington DC on steroids times one million, you may have a small picture of the insanity of the drivers in the UAE. They are the most patient people and the most laid-back until they are behind the wheel of a vehicle and then watch out – they love to go fast and they love their horns. There would definitely be major road rage in the US but not in the UAE – it’s one of the craziest things I have ever seen.
When the traffic light turns from green to red, the horns start blowing. You have to be ready to hit the gas and go. When traffic lights are changing from green to red, they blink off and on for a few seconds; then turn yellow; then turn red. You certainly want to stop because as soon as it turns green on the other side, the traffic is already moving and you don’t want to get hit. If you run a red light, there is a 500 dirham fine.
If you are speeding, cameras take a picture of your tag, your car and the intersection. You will receive a ticket in the mail or if it is a rental car, it will show on your monthly statement. Or you may get a text message. Andrea got a ticket coming home from Abu Dhabi. We noticed on the road to Dubai, people knew where the camera boxes were and would speed up and slow down accordingly. I guess they think “guilty only if caught.”
Because they love to drive fast, it’s just an unwritten rule that you should always leave the left lane open. If you happen to be in that lane, you better move over or get run over. The driver will his flash lights incessantly until you move over and then he just zooms past you (after he’s blown his horn at you.)
It’s interesting to watch drivers at stop signs. Andrea says stop signs are only “suggestions” – more like a “Yield” sign. It’s crazy!
It’s illegal to have bumper stickers. Andrea’s friend had an “I love Canada” sticker and was stopped by police. She was told it was against the law – showed her in "his" book. She apologized and he was nice enough not to give her a ticket.
Gas is $1.72 dirham per liter (I think it’s a little less than $2 a gallon). The attendant pumps for you and washes your windshield. You must pay cash, no bank cards. Reminds me of when I was growing up in south Georgia! :-)
You can see every imaginable, expensive car in the world – Porsche, Bentley, Mercedes, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Rolls Royce. I think every local person owns an SUV and the windows are all tinted very dark.
A little bit about the taxis: The white taxis are privately owned. The silver taxis are regulated by the government and have a yellow light on top. The teachers were recommended to use the silver taxis since they were regulated by the government. The silver taxis with the pink light on top are Ladies Taxis – these are driven by women. Andrea has a little girl in her class who is dropped off and picked up every day by a “Pink” taxi – Ladies taxi.
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