I overslept today and didn't wake up until 7:15am which meant that the children missed the school bus. Of course 7:15 would have allowed us 45 minutes to get ready and get to school if I could drive - but I can't! I have had a British driving licence for about 17 years, the car is sitting out on the driveway going nowhere, the fuel tank is full, the keys are in the cabinet... and I am not allowed to drive it because I am in Saudi Arabia which prohibits women from from driving.
This is just another of those annoying days where I feel the need to rant because I have the children home for no apparent reason. *sigh*
Yesterday being able to drive would have come in very useful too when a friend phoned me at 7am almost crying in pain but instead she had to wait four hours for a compound driver to become available to take her to the hospital to get checked over.
I wonder what other incidences in this country turn into major emergencies because women cannot drive themselves to the dr at the first sign of a problem or when their children injure themselves...
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8 comments:
assalamu'alaikum
I know:( saudi is just a patriarch society. I mean there's nothing in Islamic law that prohibts women from driving. But it's clearly haram to watch music and stuff which is freely available all over ksa!talk about double standards! hmph.
move to dubai if you dont wanna go back to the UK and if you are rich enough!
sigh i bet a lot of people have this problem when something wrong happens. Are the taxis you can take? Or do you need escort?
Assalaamu alaikum,
The traffic in Dubai drove us crazy when we were there for just one week! We seemed to spend 50% of the time in traffic!
AMW: there are outside taxis but I prefer to only use the compound taxi which is of course overbooked at that time of morning (as sick friend discovered) and I wouldn't send the kids off on their own like that aaaand, I don't want to have to wake up 4 yr old and 1 yr old and force them to go out at that time of morning so... nup!
lol, yea. But at least you can drive there. besides there are great Islamic courses you can attend. everything is so strict in Saudi, you cant even have an English Islamic center! they only want to have their influence over the rest of us! *sigh*
I made up my mind a long time ago that if (la qadr allah) my kids get seriously injured and my husband is out of time heck ya im going to take those keys out and drive them to the hospital!
That is the same mind that sometimes lets me believe that if I put on my husbands thobe and shimag and covered my face I could could out on a joy ride with my neice in laws hehe. Let's hope for my hairs' sake I never actually do it.
Oy - traffic in Dubai is enough to make you go insane! Our trips are direct and to the point now. Oman - UmRamool - Oman (ikea!).
I don't know how you deal with not being able to drive. There are moments when I have to just get out (although I regret it from the wackos on the road).
Best bet would be hiring your own driver if you can, hu?
I'd avoid driving on Dubai roads at all costs - hell I avoid Dubai totally & I live in the UAE!! Sadly, Abu Dhabi's roads are becoming much like it's neighbour.
I found it annoying that I couldn't drive whilst living in Riyadh, because you are just sooo restricted to either a taxi/limo or compound bus, and/or hubby, who often won't want to hit the roads after a long day at work. I think if push came to shove though & definitely if there was an emergency, I'd get behind the wheel & deal with the consequences later!
Ahhhh, it's all part of what makes the Magic Kingdom so special :-)
Hire my own driver... can't see hubby agreeing to that one!
Jayne, I chuckle everytime you write about the 'Magic Kingdom'! LOL
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