Arabian Autographs: Driving Madam
Women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia. "You couldn't pay me enough to drive 500 metres down the road,'' says Angela Townsend. "If you have lived there and seen the way the locals drive you would understand.''
I don't know what all the fuss is about women not being allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia. You couldn't pay me enough to drive 500 metres down the road.
If you have lived there and seen the way the locals drive you would understand.
My husband, once a considerate, law-abiding driver, now suffers from road rage, returning verbalisms at intersections and careening down the highway at 140km/hr.
There are signs displaying 120km/hr but I believe this states the minimum speed; any vehicle unable to maintain this bottom line will be run off the road.
My husband's speed is still in the lower range of normal. Huge Fords, GMCs and Cadillacs rocket past us on both sides at up to 200km/hr while camels stare wide-eyed from over-revving Toyota pick-ups.
Toddlers balance precariously between the front seats, accidents waiting to happen. Expats have a name for these unrestrained children - Saudi missiles. It is a sad fact that, while child restraints are readily available in the stores, they are rarely used. Maybe this is a cultural thing; life has changed so quickly over the past 50 years with Saudis graduating from sauntering camels to high-powered vehicles.
At any intersection you will be entertained with drivers cutting across three or more lanes to perform a u-turn. Generally this is considered acceptable practice. However, what is not acceptable and will result in a cacophony of horn-honking is being the 22nd car in line at the lights and expected to move forward the instant the lights turn green.
Women have to rely on husbands, fathers, brothers or personal drivers to go anywhere. Many families have their own drivers, usually a worker from the sub-continent. These drivers have a large amount of trust placed in them, both in their driving skills as well as respect for the women they transport. One step too far (easy to do when they come from a country used to being around women) and they are either shipped home on the first available flight (the preferable option) or locked up indefinitely.
Western women are warned not to use public taxis. There are stories (I don't know how accurate they are) of women who have disappeared, most likely raped, murdered and dumped in the desert. I am not convinced however, as I am certain a public beheading would act as a pretty good deterrent to this behaviour.
Our compound employs very good drivers from Sri Lanka, India and the Philippines and this `madam' is more than happy to be chauffeured to the shopping centres and therefore, Starbucks.
Imagine if women drove in Saudi. There would be half as many cars again further adding to the chaos and congestion already rife. When she is involved in an accident (for everyone it is a matter of when, not if) she would have to deal with strange men - a big no-no for non-relatives - causing all kinds of problems. It just wouldn't work under the current strict Islamic laws, not to mention the road system.
I must admit I did drive in Saudi, just once. My husband and I were going for a weekend away on the east coast and pulled off the highway to have a coffee. We didn't have our Jeep then and were in a Toyota Camry. I would like to add that Toyota Camrys are not suitable for driving in sand. Naturally, we got stuck. I had to slide into the drivers seat (not an easy task at seven months pregnant) while my husband stacked rocks around the wheels. It took half an hour and a few disapproving stares, but we made it back to the road. So, for the first and (hopefully) last time, I can say I drove in Saudi.
