Tuesday, February 26, 2013

THE CAB RIDES I'LL NEVER FORGET

Image result for saudi cabs
Picture - Gulf news

The last week has been extremely hectic for me. I had a hundred and one errands to run from sending all my belongings back to South Africa, to closing up banking accounts and of course doing last minute shopping. Naturally I was in and out of many cabs as I did not wish to inconvenience my friends from taking me from point A to point B. Whilst chatting to a taxi driver some time back, I recall him telling me that he has the best job in the world as he interacts with many weird and wonderful characters on a daily basis from all walks of life; each passenger having their own identity with their own fair share of problems, trials and tribulations. Over the past few years in the Kingdom I have come across my own fair share of colourful taxi drivers. Last week a friend of mine brought his sister to Riyadh for a course at the university. We had planned to meet up at the hotel around lunch time. They were residing at the Golden Tulip hotel. I called the limousine service and the Indian driver arrived promptly within a few minutes. I enquired if he knew where the hotel was located and he replied in the affirmative. During the long half and hour trip down town Riyadh in peak traffic, he did not speak a single word. Suddenly the car came to an abrupt screeching halt opposite an old delapidated building. " This is the hotel madam. You go now." he said. On top of the building there was a sign that read Golden Tulip Olaya house. I asked the driver to please wait until I find out if this is the hotel as the building looked old and run down. The entrance of the building was also closed with a chain and lock. As I got off the car the driver simply sped off without waiting for me. He basically left me in the middle of nowhere. After enquiring from a shop owner round the corner, it was established that the hotel was located there initially but has been closed down a few months ago. Eventually I had to take another cab and make my way in the opposite direction to the new Golden Tulip hotel located in the Nasriyya area of Riyadh. That same evening I headed off to Hayat mall to meet some friends for dinner. My taxi driver was a young gentleman from Pakistan who initially thought that I was a Saudi woman. He quoted me a rate that was exorbitantly high compared to the normal rate and only after conversing with him in urdu did his price come down. He was extremely shocked to discover that I was a South African woman and enquired about my roots. He wanted to know where did I learn urdu from. In Saudi Arabia your nationality determines your standard of living and governs all aspect of your life within the Kingdom. Within the taxi industry the nationality issue also rears its ugly head with Pakistani drivers complaining about their Saudi counterparts and vice versa. This driver told me not to ever travel with a Saudi taxi driver as they are not safe and a Saudi driver I met during one of my shopping trips told me that all Pakistani drivers are dogs and that they overcharge Saudi women. As you can see this is a definite case of the pot calling the kettle black. Any way, behind this Pakistani driver's bright smile lurked an inner sadness. Whilst waiting in the traffic he related a story to me about his brothers daughter who was born with a metabolic disorder. Under the auspices of the late King Fahad, the family were granted permission for the child to be treated at a hospital in Riyadh that specializes in genetic disorders. His nieces name was also Sumayya and apparently she also had beautiful eyes. When King Fahad passed away, Abdulla was sworn in as the King of Saudi Arabia and with Fahad's death, their royal decree was no more. They required a new approval. During this approval process, Sumayya became very ill and was admitted to hospital for 15 days. When she was discharged from hospital she was given a few months supply of medication. Due to red tape and bureaucracy their application requesting for treatment at the hospital was taking an eternity to process. When her medication supply was depleted her family were unable to obtain more medication from the hospital and getting the drugs from overseas would take time. Sumayya became worse with each passing day and eventually succumbed to her death. The driver had tears in his eyes and then took out a photo of his beloved niece from his wallet to show me. She was the apple of his eye. I felt sad and heart sore when I heard the driver's story. After having dinner with my friends I decided to make my way to Lulu hypermarket. Naturally I flagged down a cab from outside the mall. The driver happened to be a young 23 year old Saudi gentleman. I got the impression that he only reason he took up this profession part time was to get in touch with the female species of his nation...lol. As soon as I got into the car he was chatty wanting to know which part of Saudi Arabia I hailed from and what was my profession. He was also under the impression that I am a Saudi woman. The car weaved its way through peak traffic coming to a screeching halt on two occasions when two cars unexpectedly tried cutting in front of us. Halfway through my destination we came to a traffic signal and a young Saudi gentleman pulled up next to us in a beautiful white mercedez benz. The driver of the car rolled down his window and my driver was under the impression that the gentleman required assistance with directions. I was shocked to hear the man in the other car asking my driver to request for my mobile number. He also said that the driver should ask me to get off the car and leave me at the street corner. In that way I will find it difficult to find another cab and out of desperation I may just decide to hop a ride with him. I asked my driver to roll up his window. When the traffic signal turned green, my driver sped off down the road with the white mercedez benz chasing us until I reached the entrance of Lulu hypermarket. My cab driver seemed quite happy and excited to motor away down the road weaving his way through the traffic whilst the famous Iraqi singer Majed al Muhandis gave us company. My driver was a big fan of his and mind you he sang the songs ' ana hanyet' and 'atawassal beek" in a really melodious voice. I even suggested that he should take up a career in singing as he was very talented in my opinion. As a side note in 2010 the Iraqi public were quite disappointed to discover that their best singer Majed Al muhandis gave up his Iraqi nationality to take up Saudi nationality. Many of my Saudi friends were quite amazed at how the man got citizenship when there are thousands of people who have resided in the Kingdom for fifty years and more but have not acquired nationality. These individuals have been working in Saudi all their life. Their kids have been brought up like Saudi children with Arabic being their primary language. Newspaper reports at the time suggested that perhaps a member of the ruling family was smitten with the artists singing ability and that is why he was offered instant Saudi citizenship. The taxi driver that I will never ever forget was a Saudi gentleman in his late thirties. Mom and I encountered him a year ago during a shopping trip to Sahara mall. What really surprised me about him was the fact that he was immaculately dressed. I then discovered that he was an Arabic teacher at a well known school and because he had two wives residng in two different cities he worked as a cab driver after school to earn extra money. Whilst chatting to him he asked why doesn't my friend speak a word. He was under the impression that my mom was my friend. Mom does not know how to speak Arabic and hence she was silent during the entire trip. " Is your friend married? I have an elder brother who is not married so I can arrange for her to marry him. What about you, are you married?" he asked. I also played along in the conversation and when we finally reached the compound I informed him that I was not accompanied by my friend but rather I am with my mom. He was so embarrassed and shocked that his face turned tomato red. He got off the car and hurriedly opened mom's door. He complimented mom telling her that she looked extremely young for her age and then he apologized for asking too many personal questions. He also refused to take the money for his services rendered to us. I recall mom and I having a good laugh when he drove off. Oh and I forgot to mention my encounter with a cab driver who does matchmaking as well. He tried hooking me up with an American doctor that utilized his services on a daily basis. Whilst it feels good being able to drive a car in South Africa I do miss riding in a cab not having to worry about the stress of driving in peak traffic. South Africa needs to implement a better public transport system that is safe and efficient. According to writer Scott Murray, there is a small town in Saudi Arabia where young men aspire to become cab drivers in New York city. If they are able to fulfill their dream they then become the pride of their hometown. Whilst elite members of society may frown upon taxi drivers as being a part of a lower socio -economic group, it is the world's second oldest profession and without them the world's oldest profession may not have been able to operate.