Wednesday, June 25, 2008

A great way to start the day

The taxi driver who was taking me to work this morning nearly got me killed. He was too busy eating his apple, listening to the radio, talking on his cell phone or whatever else he was doing to pay attention to the traffic around him, and just narrowly missed causing a massive accident at the always-congested intersection of Sheikh Rashid and Oud Metha Roads.

Friends, family and acquaintances of mine worry about me being over here because they perceive the Middle East as a dangerous part of the world or because they see a potential for terrorist activity in the UAE (although a recent terror alert issued by British authorities might have been based on a barroom hoax).

But the truth is this: the biggest hazard to my well-being - or for that matter, anybody's well-being - in Dubai is not violence or terrorism, but traffic. Between poor driving habits, myriad driver distractions and ever-present congestion, Dubai's roadways are by far this city's most dangerous aspect.

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