h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.h2g2.com/A457797

I was thinking this might be a good addition to the Driving Etiquette series of entries.

Well, could be. But the guidelines are that a subject should be covered in some depth, which this entry is lacking, imho.
What about driving in the heat? Do Tyres melt ? Are roads made of tar and get sticky? Are women allowed to drive? Is "Drinking and Driving" an issue over there ? ....

Current policy is that updates to entries do not take place through peer review, and this is, as you say, an update to http://www.h2g2.com/A139501 on international driving etiquette. I have therefore recommended it be moved there - there are a number of similar comments in he forums, and this entry will fit in well there.

When the sub-ed concerned gets round to updating this entry, your wisdom will no doubt be incorporated into it - in the meantime it will be easily accesible to those who wish to learn about driving etiquette, and may even spark some comments.

Indicators bring Road Rage
myre (scout)

Comments on driving in Saudi Arabia:
Women are NOT allowed to drive (except in large foreign compounds like Aramco's - or during war, foreign troops) - it is felt that the veil would interfere with their vision; worse, in event of a breakdown, a woman alone would be in deep trouble.
The car going the fastest has the right of way, in fact, if not in law. They signal a desire to pass by flicking their headlights. Move over. They feel they have done their part and will not slow down once they have indicated a desire to go through. It is a matter of pride. Saudis do not pass by going around - they are in the fast lane already - they pass by going straight while the foreigner or slower driver moves over. This is the norm - how it is done. Get used to it!
When a cop stops you for anything, do not tell him he is full of s**t. If he says you did it, you did. The only hope is to make him like you and want to let you go. Never annoy a cop. He is already annoyed that you - by the very fact that you are a Westerner - make more money than he does. If you are NOT a Westerner, he is annoyed because you are THERE. In any case he is already annoyed. Always carry enough money to pay the highest possible traffic fine - 900 riyals. Especially if you are driving outside a city. Often, if you get hauled in for a traffic stop, you will sit in jail until you miraculously come up with the cash to pay your fine. At the least have a telephone number of someone who can bring you the cash, and carry enough cash to pay for a call to this person and also to pay somebody to make the call if you can't. Never travel without money on your person - espcially outside the town you are based in. (Robbery is a very miniscule possibility).
In driving on the main divided highways between cities there is almost no traffic from about 10 a.m. till 4 p.m. so for the timid, this is the time to drive- but it is HOT. Traffic gets worse after four (or after the first of the two evening prayers) since this is when the locals start to drive.
Never slow or stop for a yellow light if there is a car behind you. It helps to be aware of the nationality of those driving around you. This gets easier as you get used to various clothing and physical clues. If the guy ahead of you is Indian or Pakistani HE may slow for a yellow light, for instance; it helps to know that! Never assume that a green light means the cars from the crossing streets will stop. Always watch to see if they are slowing, before you proceed into an intersection.
Fines for killing someone are based on the person's earning ability, so in case of having to make a choice of whom to hit, chose females over males (if they are from the same country - naturally choose a foreign male over a saudi woman!), then make your choices based on average earning ability (except that the two highest categories are Saudi males and Camels) - after that Americans, Northern Europeans, Japanese, Southern Europeans, higher income Asians, and so on down to Bangladeshis who usually earn the least. If having to chose between two people of roughly equally compensated countries, chose the non-Muslim if possible. Between two Muslims, hit the one without a beard. Hit the car of lesser value.
After an accident (and if you are there for long, you WILL have one) the procedure is as follows - I am not joking:
For non-injury accidents - Come to an agreement as to who shall compensate the other. Before the cops get there, if the other driver is Saudi, be very aggressive - quiet dignity projects weakness; but change tack when a policeman arrives. If you cannot agree, a policeman will listen to both sides and make a suggestion. TREAT all cops with respect!!! They can really make a difference in the outcome. If the other driver is Saudi and from a different tribe HE may p**s off the cop - all to your advantage. If he is from the same tribe, you lose! If you have ANY Arabic use it - Saudis tend to be flattered when Westerners make any attempt to learn Arabic (For Asians and Africans, alas, this doesn't help - it is assumed that you can - or should - speak Arabic) Bribery doesn't work - at least on a small scale - don't try it. If you do not agree with the policeman's assessment, you will both be taken to jail where the captain may try to make an agreement. If you still refuse to accept his logic, you will both be jailed until you post the entire estimated amount of repairing BOTH vehicles. The court when it sits will estimate total cost of repairs, then assign percentage of blame. You do NOT want it to get this far. Just figure, if you are a Westerner, you are going to pay (they know you have the money) - and it is always better to get things over at the earliest opportunity. Your best strategy is to try to get the amount as low as possible. Until you get to a police station, you only have to worry about paying for the other guy's car - once you are in the system, the value of BOTH cars becomes an issue. If you are thinking that it is a very good idea to purchase insurance in Saudi, you are beginning to think right!
Once you have made an agreement on payment, you must find a cop - if none has yet been involved. You need not leave the vehicles in situ - you can drive to a phone or to a station to find the cop. He will sign a paper saying that you have worked it out, and you need this before repairs are done. It is illegal in Saudi to repair a car without a policeman's signature on how the damage occurred. If you have been there a while, you can get around this IF the other driver is also a foreigner and you know a Filipino or someone else you can pay to privately fix things. A cardinal rule in Saudi is to know the Filipino or Indian guys who can get things done. Even non-Saudi Arabs can be valuable allies no one has more resentment for the locals than their fellow Muslims. NEVER attempt to evade the law if the other driver is a Saudi - no matter WHAT he promises you. NEVER. NEVER. They hold ALL the marbles and you have merely added collusion to your problems. (Don't be surprised if the driver is 12 years old - this is GOOD - he will not have a license - but let the policeman decide that - because the cop will know if he is a Prince or or a powerful person's so, and you do not wish to be in the position of questioning such a person's maturity, believe me.) In talking to anyone try to deal in such a way that he does not respond with a definite yes or no, unless you are sure this will be in your favor. No Saudi EVER backs down from a decision, once stated. If you force a situation where someone is overruled (like going over his head), be aware that he will get even. So be vague and general as much as possible and never speak out of anger or in haste.
If you are in a serious injury accident, it is best to die on the spot. In many cases you will be jailed while things are sorted out even if you are dying. Happily, I never had that experience.
If you can tell a Sunni Muslim from a Shi'ite, and you determine your other driver is a Shi'ite - you may be able to settle for less UNLESS the cop is also a Shi'ite. Shi'ites are in a minority position in Saudi, and the majority do NOT like them. (But keep this awarenenss to yourself - the Saudis will deny it, unless THEY bring it up first). This advice is best in the Eastern province where Shi'ites abound.
Never, ever, give the finger, or say the 'F' word. Trust me on this!!
Be aware that the righthand lane on the long inner-city highways often have deep ruts where the blacktop has softened in the sun and been rutted by heavy truck traffic. This can really throw a passenger car for a loop if you move into this lane at high speed (remember this when exiting to one of the rare service stations out in the desert). Incidentally, for men - no problem if you have to heed the call of nature on the open highway - just step around the car away from traffic and face the distance (not the road).
Remember there ARE speed limits - usually 120 kph on the inter-city highways, but in general you can drive 160- 200 safely. There is such a thing as being stopped for speeding - but it is rare. It will usually happen in or near cities.
The old hazard of sheep and camels in the road has lessened greatly on the larger highways, because overpasses have been built for them. But if you see a cut or break in the fences along these highways, watch out for animals for the next several miles. It is more likely that you will encounter a person on the highway. Or a truck at night with no lights. Or someone on your side of the highway. Be especially watchful near the very rare service station in the deserts, that someone is not attempting to enter or leave from or to the opposite side of the highway from that on which the station is located.
Be aware that exiting at high speed on an exit in the desert that has no buildings nearby can be dangerous, since the overpass may be one of those intended for flocks and the exit will suddenly end in desert and rock with not even a dirt road. Can make a real impression at high speed.
he first rain in Riyadh (and probably other cities - especially in the interior) puts a water layer over the oil build-up of a whole year and the highways are so slick that they make ice seem like gravel. It is really slippery and even the smallest curve will throw cars into a skid. The police sometimes try to slow drivers down by driving the main roads in a back and forth weave forcing everyone to slow. They are doing you a favor! Because otherwise the locals would be hitting you from all sides whether you drove slowly or fast.
The Saudi response to rain is to drive with his caution blinkers on. I never figured the logic of this, but consider it fair warning. Any time a Saudi actually warns you of something, you are ahead of the game. Surprise is generally their forte.
City streets in the bigger cities can be full of really big potholes that can damage your car. Be on the lookout on unfamiliar roads - even fairly major arteries. Highways between distant cities tend, however, to be very good. This encourages high speed driving,
NEVER leave a woman alone in a car and walk for help.
Get out of the car if you break down in the desert in daytime. Hot as it is under the car, it is safer because of the shade - you will die otherwise in a very short time. If off-road or on a highway in the desert that has no traffic (not even a car every 2 hours, for instance), remove your tires and burn them - the smoke may bring help. You are otherwise pretty much done for, in summertime.
ALWAYS assume that a car to your left will make a right turn at an intersection, and that a car to your right will turn left. Folks making this assumption are rarely disappointed and even better, often alive at the end of the day. This is really important. It is rumored that a Saudi, on being asked why he turned right from the lefthand lane replied that it was because everybody knew that was the side he lived on. Your chances of surviving Saudi double if you always allow for the unexpected turn from what we foolishly call the 'wrong' lane.
Police stops in the middle of nowhere tend to be for the purpose of checking Identification ('iqamas' for foreigners) and for valid licenses. Nothing to fret about usually, so long as you have the necessary items. They WILL open and sniff bottles of water, etc. so dispense with alcohol in the car including the trunk, or boot. It is illegal to have any alcohol anywhere anytime (although they will nearly always avoid entering a Western residence in search of same unless there is wild revelry or he is so stupid as to give a Saudi a drink) Never drive drunk - if you should get in an accident where someone dies, even if it is the other guy's fault; you may be beheaded, you will surely be flogged. And remember, most accidents - other than fender benders - are fatal to someone, because of the high rates of speed at which everyone drives.
Do not pull over or stop in front of guarded ministries or palaces. They tend to suspect you are up to something bad. I know this from experience! And the guards probably do not speak English, so explanations are useless, unless you speak Arabic
Unless you are into sports like bungy-jumping, avoid driving on Takhasussi Street in Riyadh after dark. That is where all the princes drive. And in no policeman ever stops them, or sides against them. And there are LOTS of them (plus their friends). And they drive as you might expect. There are probably similar streets in most big cities. Learn where they are!
Finally, if you drive in Saudi for a long time, re-train yourself when you return home. I have known a number of people to be killed in accidents shortly after their return because they got used to the Saudi way.
And if I had a chance to return to Saudi again? I'd be there in a heartbeat - I had a ball!

Researcher 170889 - just a minor piece of advice - for long pieces of additional content like your own, you may be better off posting to the forum of the entry in question, and simply linking to them here. That way, the flow of the thread isn't broken up quite so much...

That said, I hope Mr. Two Bit will try and incorporate some of your comments into the entry, creating a lovely collaborative entry to make everyone happy.

Incidentally, additional "Driving Etiquette" entries are now acceptable, so if you(2-bit) would like to resubmit this piece to Peer Review, please do so!

I'd be happy to work it all into something if 170889 doesn't mind.

I'll probably start work on it some time next week.

cool!

If/when you create a PR thread, let us know!

wow!


Lucinda, should we begin scouting conversation threads as well? Sometimes they contain big nuggets!

Bossel (Scout)

Well, the "Testicle Cuffs" entry in PR at the moment was created when someone wrote a longish post on the subject, and I invited him to turn it into an entry - so yes - sure!

170899 has written several longish posts on driving in a variety of forums.

Perhaps it would be better if Researcher 170899 would write the entry then - or collaboratively between you - or make a project out of it - ooh: so many options...

Have fun!
-Lucinda