Friday, August 18, 2006

A couple before I go . . .

Looks like IM coming back home. Later than initially planned but sooner than I thought after arriving here. So a couple last things I guess . . .

Driving here is absolute insanity. Kuwait must have one of the highest rates of automobile realted fatalities in the world. The speed limit here on the highways is 120KPH which is about 75MPH. But traffic police dont give tickets here, cameras do, and there are signs warning you where the cameras are. So generally people drive upwards of 160KPH (100 MPH) until they get to the cameras at which point they slow down to 120 (not far in advance I might add).

They also love to weave and love to ride right on your tail. If you're traveling slower than someone coming up behind you they will flash their lights and come right up on your tail. This is not something Im entirely unfamiliar with being from Massachusetts, but these people take it to an entirely different level. We drive SUVs and most times I can hardly see the heads of the guys who come up behind me if I dont get right out of the way. I just keep waiting for the bump. If you dont move they just head into the breakdown lane on your left and pass you kicking up every bit of debris and dust in the process.

Admittedly I love driving fast and the roads are straight and flat. I certainlt have done my share of speeding however theres this little bell in the car that rings incessantly when you exceed 120. Anyway the point of this is . . . there are no fender benders here. Every Saturday morning there is a new batch of wrecks along the highway.