Driving in Kuwait

Many of you have heard bits and pieces about the hazards of driving in Kuwait. I have said it once, twice, a thousand times...I am really afraid to drive here. Every daily decision that I make revolves around what time it is and where I would have to drive to do something. Do I want to shop? Hhhmmm, not bad enough to drive toward downtown to get to the mall. Am I hungry? Hhhmmm, not hungry enough to risk getting into a car to get food. (I'll explain the magic answer to solve that problem in the next post!)

Of course I am married to someone that has not driven since we arrived in Kuwait almost 3 months ago. He is a FAB-U-LOUS passenger seat driver though, so FRET NOT I have someone helping me. :-) Yep, that has been awesome...doesn't add to my stress at all while I am trying to avoid our death in a big firey crash that BJ is saying "um, you are going too fast", "why are you in this lane???", "you need to pass him...pass him on the right...do it now", etc.

BJ thinks the reason people drive so poorly over here is because of a lack of education, topped off with the fact that 90% of the true Kuwaiti's can't see very well. I think that is partly to blame (they don't have a driver's education program, and man do they need one...), but I also think it is compounded with a healthy dose of arrogance. Now the Kuwaiti's are only part of the problem. Honestly I have seen just as many stupid things done by the American's.

So, today's lesson is "THE EMERGENCY LANE IS ACTUALLY NOT FOR EMERGENCIES, IT IS JUST AN ADDITIONAL LANE". The Kuwaitis drive very, very, very fast. They come up on you before you ever see where in the world they came from. Typically they alert you to their presence by flashing their bright lights indicating that you need to move out of their lane. This makes many people angry...not me, I'm all too happy to move over and let them continue on with their death wish. If you are one of the people that get angry and decide to remain in their way, they will simply move into the emergency lane and pass you...leaving maybe 1/4 of an inch between your car and theirs, and cutting back in front of you as close as possible. If they can't get back over they are happy to continue in the new lane (formerly known as the emergency lane). They will do this for miles and miles, kicking up dirt and rocks while they cruise along at 90 mph in the emergency lane.

The real fun comes when there is actually a disabled vehicle in the emergency lane. BJ has witnessed a really spectacular accident where this happened and the car couldn't get stopped in time to avoid the crash. Good times.