Job Discussion Forums

[Griff-James]

Doing 120KPH on my first trip to Kobar.

Seeing aftermath of car crash on my second trip to Kobar.

Truck exploded and burning under a bridge on my third trip to Kobar.

Eyes kept firmly shut on subsequent trips.

[tacomaboywa]

[johnslat]

Dear tacomaboywa,

"After that, 120 KPH, felt sooooo slow. "

Did it really feel slow, or did it, perhaps, feel "half-fast?"

Regards,
John

[tacomaboywa]

[Stephen Jones]

I went from Jubail to Riyadh in an ex-student's car some years back. He did the whole journey at 200 kph. I arrived ninety minutes early and five years older.

[trapezius]

I did 200 km/h (124 mph) today on the way to work (deserted road off of the highway) . Before that, the fastest I ever did was 180 km/h (112 mph) (several times, actually, about once a week!).

Fastest I have ridden is 285 km/h (177 mph), in a student's car (the SR. 600,000 420 hp Audi R8 supercar) . I got to drive his car as well... but only up to 150 kph (93 mph) (reached the speed in under 100 meters!). Another student told me he did 310 km/h (193 mph) last week in a car [580 hp Audi RS6, a four door family car!!!] he was test driving, and that he would give me a [fast] ride when he test drives it again soon!

120 km/h is nothing... I drive at a steady 140 km/h (87 mph) most of the way to work on the highway. (You can't even go at 120 km/h in the fast lane on a highway, as almost all the cars in the fast lane go at 140 km/h and above)

[BillCowher]

It is hard to drive over about 80kph in the right hand (slow) lane because since the roads are built straight on sand they buckle within weeks with the truck traffic. They just peel up the road every year & lay 12 new inches of asphalt straight on the sand. The name of the game seems to be to build as crappy as possible so the guy who built it can build a new one.

Just drive from Dammam to Jubail & look off to either side & see last year's asphalt lying there about 50 yards (meters for some of you) off to the side on both sides.

Then you can be cruising right along & suddenly there is a police shack in the middle of nowhere with permanent huge speed bumps that will kill most cars & a car with 3 ~ 4 people can never get over without hitting. Those pig shacks are not even always monitored & what their purpose is is a mystery to all.

[scot47]

The prudent minimise their time on roads in KSA. I go to school in the college bus, return to my apartment and stay there. For comestibles there is a supermarket next door.

The foolhardy leap into their vehicles and zoom around like the locals.

[scot47]

In choosing my jobs in KSA over the last 20 years I have always looked for those where it is not necessary to have a car.

I never much liked driving but the prospect of driving on the streets of this country fill me with DREAD !

[BillCowher]

At least if you drive yourself you can control the actions of the car you are in even if you can't control the others.