Letters

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August 4 - 10, 2010
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NOTHING makes me more furious than driving to and from work every day ... I literally feel like I'm putting my life on the line each time I get into my car. I've driven in several different countries and although I love living here in Bahrain, it is by far the worst place to drive.

Sometimes, I wonder how people pass their driving test here, and furthermore, what Bahrain's driving instructors are teaching young drivers, what do the driving lessons consist of? My guess would be ... Lesson one, speeding. Lesson two, taking the wrong lane at a roundabout. Lesson three, haphazardly parking on the pavement (with the back end of the car sticking out on the road). Lesson four, parking in the middle of the road when the pavement is full. Lesson five, driving at 100km with a baby on your lap (and no seat belt). Lesson six, sending an SMS whilst driving and not watching the road. Lesson seven, changing lanes without indicating ... etc

Did I miss a meeting? Have safety and common sense been done away with? Because, if so, I'll happily douse myself in petrol, light a cigarette and dance around to the latest Miley Cyrus album!

How on earth does everyone else deal with this madness on the roads?

Without exaggeration, I've lost count of the amount of times I've almost crashed because of other people's dangerous driving. I'm not saying I'm the world's best driver or that I don't make mistakes of my own. But, it seems like the errors being made on Bahrain's roads are getting worse.

Why doesn't the government do something? Here's a novel little suggestion ... how about imposing penalties for drivers that don't follow the rules? If someone parks in the middle of the road, tow their car away. If someone causes serious danger to themselves and other road users by not doing something as simple as indicating, send them to a mandatory driving class. Little steps can help prevent big tragedies.

Yours furiously,

Dr Jeremy Fisher, by email.







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