Two big things the last couple of weeks. 1) I finally checked out of the hotel and moved into the apartment. 2) I received my Qatari driver's license, which led to me getting my rental car and finally having mobility. Yeah! To celebrate, I bought a twelve pack of the only semi-crafty beer they sell at the embassy store.
Driving in Qatar is interesting, but not nearly as scary as Yemen. There are actually working stoplights here (more on that...), people generally stay in lanes (other than folks texting and driving...), and they obey the laws. When I was in Yemen, there was no Waze yet, so I had to quickly learn directions. Here, I blindly obey 'Bitching Betty' (aka Waze). Back in the US, I never really liked using Waze or other mapping apps, preferring to trust my natural 'aptitude' at directions. But here, I quickly decided to give in and obey.
But my driving style had to change. I tended to be a bit of a dick on the roads back home.. Here, hand gestures are no-no. Now, you can flip off ~ 90% of the people, but if you do the 10% that are Qataris, that can be really bad. Not like LA bad, where they start shooting. But if they find out who you are, the Qatari government can do things like cancel your drivers license, remove military base access... The quintessential car of the locals is the Toyota Land Cruiser - typically white - and they drive like they own the place (because they do...). The left lane is sort of theirs - tend to go hauling arse in it and heaven forbid if you are in it and slow them down. They also tend to make radical lane changes- like - cutting across lanes of traffic to make a turn. Once you appreciate that it may happen, you anticipate it.
About those stop lights. Qataris are big on automation - lots of money and a small population will do that. So, lots of cameras... Running a red light here is a big deal - they treat it almost like attempted murder and fines are pretty steep. A coworker from Bahrain was visiting this week for some meetings and he refused to rent a car because last time he was here he received a $1200 ticket for accidentally running a red light. The green light will suddenly flash two or three times, then a brief yellow - then BAM. Now, Waze will tell you where there are cameras... but I prefer to be safe and already have been honked at for stopping at a light by somebody tailgating me. One other manifestation of automation is that they generally don't have cops hand out tickets here - you have to go to a website and plug your license plate in.
https://portal.moi.gov.qa/wps/portal/MOIInternet/services/inquiries/trafficservices/trafficviolations
But my driving style had to change. I tended to be a bit of a dick on the roads back home.. Here, hand gestures are no-no. Now, you can flip off ~ 90% of the people, but if you do the 10% that are Qataris, that can be really bad. Not like LA bad, where they start shooting. But if they find out who you are, the Qatari government can do things like cancel your drivers license, remove military base access... The quintessential car of the locals is the Toyota Land Cruiser - typically white - and they drive like they own the place (because they do...). The left lane is sort of theirs - tend to go hauling arse in it and heaven forbid if you are in it and slow them down. They also tend to make radical lane changes- like - cutting across lanes of traffic to make a turn. Once you appreciate that it may happen, you anticipate it.
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| Driving home - 3 white LCs in front on the left... |
https://portal.moi.gov.qa/wps/portal/MOIInternet/services/inquiries/trafficservices/trafficviolations
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