Banning Minibuses? October 22, 2009

How Lame! LOL. I can’t help it.
The government, RTA, the cops all seem to miss the point.
Why is the Minibus a ticking time bomb which seems to blow up on the road ever so often?

UAE police say: “Common Sense. Right? They are dangerous when over crowded.” and then they want to find a solution to this problem.

Public say: Okay. The buses are fairly light and designed to carry less passengers but how can accidents take place if the bus is light weight? LOL. The light weight issue is a downside to travelling in these buses but not an accident creator! – “Common sense. Catch hold of the drivers. Curb their speed. Fine them. Confiscate the licenses of these drivers.”

Living here for the past 3 years and having interacted with many a public, most of them complain that the bus drivers are superfast. Reaching employees from Sharjah to Sheikh Zayed Road in 1 hour? Reaching from Bur Juman to Internet City in half an hour? Don’t these drivers have to answer their employers about the fines?

A Lebanese co-traveller once got her husband to complain about our bus drivers tendency to over speed. He was reprimanded, but got to drive the bus. And he’d sneer at the Lebanese woman when she’d come in, muttering in Urdu under his breath.

What do you say?

For more, refer to this article in The National.

I must add, that at some point in their pondering, the cops got the point about speeding, licensing et al.

Sharjah’s New Taxi Business. November 10, 2008

Sharjah and UAE Public are smiling a “we knew they’d devise another scheme” smile. A lopsided smile that says “what more?”

Few days back, it was announced that beginning November, if a Sharjah cabbie was halted and asked to go take a passenger to Dubai, the meter will start at AED 30.

According to the Sharjah Transport Authorities, this move would give an incentive to the cab drivers to take Sharjah residents to Dubai instead of ignoring them.

There are several problems and loopholes.

Firstly, if a cabbie is asked to go from Rolla to Nahda in the morning, it takes roughly 2 and a half hours to cover a distance of 10 minutes (if one drives at 60km/hr). So cabbies would prefer going to other locations in Sharjah than those which are situated toward Dubai. Even if AED 30 is an incentive.

Secondly, we don’t know about the new comission schemes the Sharjah taxi companies have devised for the taxi drivers. We think it is an incentive for them to do us a favor, but in UAE has anything good come without paying a heavy price? So I will have to talk with Ahmed (my faithful taxi driver) about this new thing. He’ll be more than eager to delight me with the truth – since it is hard to imagine the government allowing anyone especially the poor class of people to earn an easy living without getting them to do real donkey work.

Third, instead of solving the problem of transportation between the Emirates of Dubai and Sharjah, and easing public woes, the government has levied AN EXTRA AED 27.50 to the meter (making it AED 30)! It is the less fortunate, the servants, low salaried, non driving license holders, non car owners who are using taxi transport. So now the government decides to fleece them. How can they afford it? Leave alone them, it is not even affordable to a housewife, a group of friends who decide to dutch, an old person who is dependent on a child for money, or even a working class professional who’s salary is about AED 2500 only. And we know that there are people working here for this meagre sum.

The government is bloody selfish, blatantly I say. All they think of is ways to extract more money from the public.

What do they want to do? The first thing that comes to my mind is ushering out the middle class (but then who will slave for them?)

Typically said, I have a Valid UAE Driving License". July 3, 2008

I intend writing my driving data because I want to remember every bit of it for the rest of my life.
I started my first class on the 10th of May 2008, after my waiting period of two months.
I finally cleared the road test on the First of July 2008 from Emirates Driving Institute.
The examiner was Najwa Ibrahim for the second time (She was the examiner in the third try)
I cleared in my fourth attempt.
I feel as though I really earned my license, because success has never come to me easily in life.
My driving instructor was Mohammed Nadeem.
He was very happy when I passed and even the examiner told me I was in good form.
I drove first time on the Second of July 2008, while going to office.
I enjoy driving so much that now even waiting in the traffic is fun.
My husband is on top of the world and called our whole family, leaving me to revel in license glory.
I have preserved some papers, the “Driving Safely” CD provided by EDI, my final road test application form, and the RTA Test paper, Driving Certiificate and the toy car.

I love my husband even more now…. only due to him I have my license… he’s the one who’s pushed me to achieve everything I have today, and everything I have become. AND YES, I HAVE BECOME SOMEONE I LOVE TO BE

AND MOST OF ALL, I THANK ALLAH. FOR UNDERSTANDING, AND MAKING MY LIFE SOOOO EASY!

10th May until 1st July 2008…… 8 weeks ONLY…. not bad……… I guess…

Parking May 25, 2008

SO – I passed my parking test without any mistakes and yelling from the lady examiner.
AND – I finished my signal test as well.

I’m so happy!! Just got three classes to attend and then assessment!

Wish me luck.

(I’m already in 7th heaven and dreaming about the car I’ll drive, no carlifts… eeeeteeeceee..)

6 classes up! May 16, 2008

It’s been such a long time since I’ve been here blogging. And I’m so happy. A lot has happened during these weeks. I got my salary and spent the months allowances on my only purchase this month. A classy pair of sun shades. I took part along with other colleagues to play exhibitor at Arabian Travel Market 2008. It was loads of fun and great experience for four days. I met loads of people and had a blast!

On Thursday, the 8th of May, I got a call to be present at the Emirates Driving Institute in Al Qusais on Saturday if…. I had no issues being instructed by a male instructor. Nope, I said. So the lady asked me to bring with me an NOC saying my hubby didn’t have any problems with the same.

Saturday, I started my first class and finished 2 classes. I’m supposed to go there three days a week. I’ve attended my signal lecture which was fabulously addressed and I’ve memorized all the signs. I’m doing the parking test this week. So I’m really happy about how everything is fitting in. I really want to pass my parking test so I can do the signal test.

Until then, I have found some transportation in the morning and I reach office at 8:30 AM. (Which I think I’ve already mentioned about) Thrilling!

Review: April 2008 Ends May 3, 2008

April!! Whew what a month! The sun finally started glaring like its normal self. Its been two months since I enrolled for the driving lessons but so far…. no call. I called EDI once, they told me it would take another 15 days… 15 days were over long back.

I think I’ll have to call again.

Bout my hubby – This is news. News. NEWS. N-E-W-S! He finally changed his job successfully. His previous company Al Nekreh Contracting was making trouble for him but I guess God was on his side. Now Iqbal is in Limitless. And its my big fat dream come true. So far he’s liking his job, his colleagues, his management and I drill him with questions daily about what he did and what he spoke and which new person he was introduced to…. etc. etc.

Its so much fun when I finally see his happy face every evening.

We went to so many places. Saw Dubai Outlet Mall on Al Ain road and because Iqbal was there…….. I got to buy just one top from Esprit. Hmmmph!

We didn’t fight one bit. But we constantly argue like grannies. And sometimes it gets to the hair but otherwise its fun.
As usual we ate alot. And I’ve become fat. 51 kgs. In my life, that’s fat. In my hubby’s dictionary – 51 kgs means elephant.

CAR- LIFTS – Hmmm, yes they are a big pain in the teeth! (I figure thats the worst pain). Since Iqbal got it in Limitless, I’m at my own mercy. So for the first few days I crossed the colossal structure of a bridge, went over to the side of Dubai and crossed the sandlot. After crossing the sandlot, I walked to the bus stop at Sahara Centre and waited for a bus. I’d take the 13A to Al Bustan Splash, get off there, cross the road and catch a cab to DAFZA. I walked this way for 4 days and after I’d paid some kind of penance, someone referred me to a Mr. Shah who passes by DAFZA every morning on his way to work. I contacted him and he agreed to take me. It’s been since May 01, that I’m going to office with him. I reach in time. It fits! I’m blessed!

I know I’ve not written about work in the last month and I won’t make a separate post for that anymore.

I’m at my job 5 months later and it is goin’ great! I was pissed off for sometime because my HR Manager didn’t do my appraisal. A core HR function. She forgot to even mention to me about salary increase as promised before I joined. I rather got the impression she was avoiding it – which was quite ironic. I brought up the topic and THEN she told me they wouldn’t be increasing my salary by a thousand because my CEO was not happy with the way things were working and etc… – I didn’t believe her because in my company, it’s only line manager’s who are responsibile for such decisions. Anyway, aside from the money bit, I’m quite happy at my job and the exposure it is enlightening me with. Plus, this is just my beginning.

Anyways, my job has taught me to be a different person. More accommodating. More flexible with ideas. Its taught me to be less tactless and more diplomatic. More understanding of other people. It’s taught me what my mom always tried to drill into my head “You can win the world with a smile.” I’ve learned to really be interested in people, and really listen, and really care.

It’s fun eating lunch with a pantry full of our employees. Laughing away one hour.

I’m throwing parties and going shopping for birthday gifts for all employees and it is the 4th of May 2008 that I write this post and I’m thinking of all the shopping for birthday gifts that I shall do next week….

………… before I get lost in thought, I’ll just go ahead an publish!

Emirates Driving Institute April 29, 2008

Turns out that I have been in line for almost touching two months and still patient and not cribby. Why? It’s because I’m quite aware that there may be other peope waiting even for 5 months and not being cribby.

It also turns out that one of my office colleagues who came to UAE for the first time as flight dispatcher went to enroll himself in Emirates Driving Institute as soon as he recieved his employment visa, realizing he’s not made for the car lift thingy and with company accommodation in Ajman, he can’t wait around for two hours after work gets over for the company driver to come fetch him. Great!

“Flight Dispatcher” and I were discussing driving classes 2 weeks back. I was happy to tell him that this was just the beginning of his endless wait. He frowned at me like he’d never heard the word wait. He went on to let me know that he’d paid 1000 AED above the fee normally charged, below the table, and he had started his classes the very next day after being enrolled.

The man has already finished 14 – 15 classes out of the 20 that are mandatory for those who have their home country driving licenses.

Doesn’t this post stink of a type of toilet paper called bribe?

Good Morning to all those who thought this doesn’t happen in UAE.

Regarding the Taxi Complaint March 22, 2008

Guess who woke me up this morning?

The RTA office!!!

My first thought was that somehow they knew what I was writing on the blog and then they traced it to me and they’d give me advice on how to avoid topics like RTA and transport..

Though, a pleasant voiced person at the other end of the line told me this was regarding the e-complain. Aha! He said that they had found the cabbie and fined him AED 300 for rejecting a passenger.

You may think I was happy but I was not. It certainly doesn’t give me pleasure to hear that the poor guy lost a days earnings and probably his commission as well. These guys just don’t get the point.

I know that the cabbie’s have to think about making the most money in the span of 24 hours in order to reach their target, in their complicated target system. They’re right on their path, because their life is so difficult.

The whole point of numerous complaints by all residents and citizens in UAE should be taken by the RTA. The answer to this problem is erradicating the hilarious rule – Dubai taxis can pick people from Dubai and not from Sharjah. Sharjah taxis from Sharjah / Ajman and not from Dubai.

A Dubai taxi doing a round of Sharjah, reaching a passenger to his destination means that on his way back to Dubai – in traffic or non traffic hours means wastage of time and money.

They should be given the liberty to pick passengers going to any destination.

I really hate the Taxi drivers and their various hang ups, but I’m still human and I really feel bad about them suffering fines due to rules which have been passed without RTA’s consideration of the Taxi Drivers, themselves and the Public – both of which are constantly suffering.

Strange Obsession March 18, 2008

No one changes the world who isn’t obsessed. – Billie Jean King (1943 – )

I’m obsessed with the Transportation in UAE and by now everyone knows that. So I hope to come together with the million people residing in UAE to change the transport system.

I waited at the bus stop until 7:30 p.m in Dubai Airport Free Zone. Iqbal was an hour late. Some DJ bumped our car. Accidents, even minor ones are time consuming. So…

By 7:00 Pm all of DAFZA was empty. Traffic was out. I was waiting patiently. Suddenly, this cabbie, looking around for a hire, passed by several people who didn’t stretch out their hands to ask the taxi to stop. He had to drive on. The taxi stopped besides me and asked me where i wanted to go.

I said I was not looking for a cab.

He drove off.

How ironic that te cab came towards me, stopped, the cabbie talked to me and left.

Would it be the same case had it been 6:00 Pm?

Anyways I was quite happy that for the first time in one and a half years, I said no to a taxi driver. And not otherwise.

e-Complain March 16, 2008

Okie. A little after I completely criticized the RTA and Dubai Taxi to my hearts content – on this blog – I recieved a message in Arabic giving me my e-complain number and the file ID – thank God – I can read arabic and understand a bit.

So in my opinion they are villians but
they are not unrelenting villians.