Job Discussion Forums

johnslat · Posted: Sat May 24, 2003 9:07 am Post subject: Primary cause

Dear zakiah25,
scot47's right - women, you see, don't HAVE to drive to be responsible for accidents. It's their mere presence - in taxis and in chauffered cars - that CAUSES all those male drivers to lose control and crash. As anyone can plainly see, this can't be the fault of the men - it's the WOMEN who are to blame.
Regards,
John
P.S. If you're in Wonderland, scot47, look out for the Red Queen or you might lose your head.

Nomad Dan · Joined: 17 Feb 2003 Posts: 145 Location: Myanmar

I saw that research.
"Women in Saudi Arabia tend to distract the drivers by giving last minute instructions on where to turn" and stuff like that. Yep. I used to drive alot there in the Eastern Province with my job. I saw some horrible accidents and came close to checking out in the desert myself. The contractors I worked for, HAKA, had me sharing this little toy of a car while once an Eco or is that Echo??? and some other strange little old toyota....no airbags. not really roadworthy...I would get an Aramco Suburban for long distance jaunts. Often times the idiots who maintained them failed to have enough oil in them. Saudi is a mess.
Nomad Dan

zakiah25 · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 155 Location: Oman

Dear JohnSlat
So what you're now telling us that women in Saudi Arabia in hijab dress in abeyas, cloaked from head to foot in black robes cause traffic accidents? Women in chauffered cars and taxis - you forgot to mention the women who sit in the back of uncovered trucks with the camels and goats.
(while the expert male drivers and their male relatives are sitting in air-conditioned comfort in the front seat). Oh please, you've been out in the desert sun too long or your evening libations are not strictly tea!
regards
Zakiah

johnslat · Posted: Sun May 25, 2003 3:20 am Post subject: Truth is stranger than strange

Dear zakiah25,
Well, while it's true that the desert does strange things to men's minds ( witness scot47 ), I'm only reporting the weird but true state of affairs here. Women also get blamed for causing accidents at night when they're pedestrians because what are they doing out then, anyway, and clad in all that black as they are, how can any poor guy be expected to see them - especially when drivers here are in the unaccountable habit of zooming around after darkness falls with no lights? Just why drivers do this, I'm not really sure, unless they think. perhaps, they " saving their batteries ". So, my " evening libations ", which, while not tea, are skimmed milk and diet 7up ( not, however, mixed ) are blameless. These, in the immortal words of Sgt. Friday ( " Dragnet " ) are " just the facts, ma'am ".
Regards,
John

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

"the desert does strange things to men's minds" - especially if you are in Riyadh for 19 years !

johnslat · Posted: Sun May 25, 2003 9:09 am Post subject: Has anyone seen it?

Dear scot47,
Ah, but I fooled them. I lost my mind years before even coming here.
Regards,
John

titanicman · Joined: 17 Feb 2003 Posts: 71 Location: Qatar

Thanks john47 about challenging me to read up on KSA and not rely excessively on snippets, news articles, and others' opinions. What are some good books or other sources about the KSA that I could order online? I'd like something about living in the KSA or the background and current situation. None of the big English bookstores in Seoul, Korea have anything on living in KSA (I checked!)

Thanks. Titanicman

johnslat · Posted: Sun May 25, 2003 4:53 pm Post subject: We have become as one

Dear titanicman,
Mama mia - it's finally happened, what I feared most:
" Thanks john47 "
scot 47 and I have amalgamated; we have mingled and fused. Yikes - I feel like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde ( I, natually, being the nice Dr. Jekyll ).
But seriously, titanicman, if you'll scroll down in this forum you'll find a thread called
" Any recommended reading for those in or coming to KSA?"
which has some good suggestions. Even mine ( i.e. " Alice in Wonderland " and " Catch 22 " ) are not really - or at least totally - meant in jest.
Regards,
John ( but not 47 )

Irish · Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 371

If you don't care for "john47," there's always "scotslat." I like that one--it's catchy.

zakiah25 · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 155 Location: Oman

Yes, "Scotslat" very catchy ...... but don't you think that people might think they're a gay couple!!!!

Irish · Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 371

Interesting point, Zakiah--I hadn't thought of it that way. For some reason, I was picturing a a very bad old film in which a man has his head transplanted onto another man's body. Naturally, the heads don't get along--in fact, one head belongs to a bigot and the other belongs to an African-American man. Hijinks ensue.

Gah! Now I'll probably have nightmares in which this very thing happens to a pair of teachers in Saudi Arabia. I'd better go put some coffee on.

zakiah25 · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 155 Location: Oman

Irish, I like the new badge.
By the way, did you happen to notice how a certain Saudi gent displayed a softer more genteel side of his demeanour in that interesting thread started by KENt in the General Discussion Forum?
Is he turning into a Saudi Prince "Charming"?

Irish · Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 371

Indeed I did note that tone in kENt's interesting thread (one of his many interesting threads). My theory: our man in Saudi is only playing at being a beast. Deep down, he's really a sweetheart. Shh! Don't tell anybody! It's supposed to be a secret.

Thanks for the compliment on the new avatar. I've been shopping around for something in this vein for some time and this is the best I can do. Actually, your avatar is the one that I've always envied but how is it that it's even allowed in here? I mean, this is the Saudi forum after all. Do they permit such shameless shaking of the hips in this part of the cafe? Heck, can a pair of females like us even be in here?

Excuse me, I must go put on my veil before the religious police come after me.

Mark100 · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 441

re driving and women causing accidents.

There was indeed a research paper that stated that women caused more accidents here by giving last minute instructions to drivers and by just being on the footpath outside a business or crossing the road.It was a professor of something or other that had is name on the research paper.
I believe it was a couple of years back.

I recommend two good books

Behind the Veil ......written by a Saudi princess

The House of Saud .....written by an ex CIA ME operative

required reading

Mark100 · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 441

Both books are banned here so therefore must be close to the mark!