Driving. It's something that I definitely took for granted back in the states. When I moved to WarTown, I said: These are the worst drivers in the entire world. Well, I stand corrected. The worst drivers in the world live in Bahrain. From the moment I first got into a car here in Bahrain, I knew that I would not like driving here at all. It is an art form....and one that I will never truly understand. To put it lightly, everyone here thinks that they are a Nascar driver and that obviously their cars are made of an indestructible material. It seems that everyone has either two speeds: pedal to the metal, haulin' ass or slower than a dying snail. I believe this type of driving stems from the fact that if you would like to have a Bahraini driver's license (which I have opted to not get) you must attend a driving school and complete over 100 hours of driving supervised by an instructor. Because everyone has completed this course, they all consider themselves "professional drivers." That being said, this school must be taught by a one-eyed maniac (no offense) because driving, for the ex-pats at least, is a lesson in survival skills. In order to successfully make it to your destination (i.e. not being killed in a fiery crash) you must be able to do several things: watch out for drivers coasting into your lane at top speeds (80+mph), watch for women wearing burqas (sorry...they do inhibit the driver's line of vision!), avoid trucks with lots of furniture and appliances precariously perched in the back, and once you have arrived at your destination you need to park as far away from everyone else as possible. Unfortunately, we all know the law of parking physics: if you park in an open parking lot, someone will come and park right beside you. And if you're in Bahrain...they will take up three spots and open their door repeatedly on your driver's side. You would also think that with the type of cars some people drive here (I'm talking Maybachs, Lamborghinis, Bentleys...etc) they would take amazing care of their care...WRONG! It seems the more expensive the car, the more blatantly they flirt with driving danger. I don't have enough fingers and toes to count on how many times I have narrowly missed being rear-ended by a Rover or being hit crossing the road by some dummy talking on his mobile while driving his Maserati like it was 1995 Mitsubishi Galant! If you were to film everyone driving on the highway from above, you would believe that everyone was heavily intoxicated by the amount of swerving and weaving that goes on!
I'll be honest. It took me over a month to work up the courage to drive and only then because I bought my own car. At first I was timid on the road....just barely edging out into traffic and cautiously waiting in the turn lane. Now, I drive like a Bahraini (well...I think better, but that's my opinion). Can my car fit into that tiny spot between two cars....why not? Am I going to cut you off? Of course! Do I need to floor it the 200 feet to the next stop light? Life is short! I am King of the Road here! At least until I get pulled over....
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