Sometimes this place can be so completely backwards. Just a routine trip to the grocery store has now ended up costing me an additional $137 for a traffic violation. Now I won't say that I'm innocent.... but I will say that the parking garages in Doha were neither designed nor built by the any of the sharpest tools in the shed. None of the signs make any sense, none of the lanes are pointing the right direction and the exit signs will only give you a nice lengthy tour of the entire lot if you actually follow them.
Today I went to the grocery store and unfortunately I was one ingredient short for my dinner after searching high and low. This happens pretty often since you're never guaranteed a specific item in any of the stores. Here one week, gone the next... never to be back again, or if you're lucky it'll be fully stocked on the shelf next week. It's a mystery. Either way, I had to run to another store before returning home. I pulled into the parking garage at the local mall, which is always a frustrating situation. People pulling out in front you, people strolling down the center of the road taking their good old time, and the parking spots always filled. After scouring the first few rows I finally eyed up an empty spot. I made a quick left and pulled into the 3rd spot on the right. At the end of the row I see a police officer writing another unhappy shopping customer a ticket. I thought to myself, "that's strange" because I see police all the time, but I never actually see them working. The police officer started to pull up to my car. I got out of my vehicle and walked over to the police car after they motioned me over and I was face to face with 2 uniformed Arab officers. They proceed to tell me that I pulled the wrong way into a one way lane of the parking garage. First off, I have NEVER EVER seen the "one way" lanes being observed in this parking garage or any for that matter. The signage is terrible, so it's practically impossible to even tell which way you're supposed to be going. It's usually every man for themselves, cars going every which direction, and complete chaos. This particular day, I needed one extra ingredient, and I end up with a ticket.
Now for those of you that know me.... you'll vouch for the fact that I have a panic attack if a medic speeds up behind me and just the thought of getting pulled over makes me breath funny. I tend to be a pretty safe driver and abide by the speed limit. I'm extra careful here because I watch way to much Locked Up Abroad on the Discovery Channel. And although I'm not attempting to smuggle drugs or engage in any other illegal activity, a run in with the police might throw me over the edge. So you can imagine my reaction when the cop asks for my license. Especially because I don't exactly have a valid Qatari drivers license yet. I check my pulse, I mean my purse.... and realize I don't even have my International Drivers License on me because I had just switched handbags a few days before. But to be honest, I'm not sure that it would have mattered. We're really not completely sure how long the International Drivers license is valid in Qatar. The expiration on the license gives me one year, but Qatar is constantly changing the rules and not really posting it anywhere. Some believe that the International license is only good for one week. I play a little dumb and hand him my passport, all the while I'm sweating profusely (it's 93 degrees out and I'm in a non-airconditioned parking garage...NOT HELPING). I'm also shaking like a leaf and probably wouldn't have known my name if they asked me. Am I Liz or Laura, Sinapi or Taylor.... Breeeaath!! Good thing they didn't ask. The officer looks at my passport and asks again for my license. I tell him that my resident's permit has not gone through yet, which would mean that I don't have my license yet. He shakes his head and looks a little disappointed, but hands my passport back. At this point, I'm considering making a run for it, but I know I wouldn't make it too far in my flip flops and this desert heat. So I stand there and wait, thinking of all the worst case scenarios. Me driving away in the back of the police car, deported for driving without a license. Or worse yet, thrown in jail. After what seems like an hour, but was probably just minutes, he hands over a ticket. I thank him (which was probably very confusing to both of the officers in the vehicle) and apologize a few times. I take my ticket and for all I know, it says I've been deported... because the whole thing is in Arabic (except the very clear "Traffic Violation" written at the bottom). I'm putting the ticket back into my car and realize that this whole scene was being witnessed by about 4 or 5 of the nice little car washing men. I'm shaking my head and one of them asks "How much is the ticket?" or at least that's what I've heard. We exchange a few words and realize neither of us are understanding the other. I show him the ticket and he looks at it, then flips it 180 degrees and takes another look. Then he laughs and says "Arabic". Obviously neither of us can read Arabic, so I'd have to wait until I got home to check the amount online.
The tickets here are actually written out to the vehicle, so he didn't have to collect any of my information. But the problem is that I was borrowing Kate's car because yesterday our car very conveniently had two of the back window motors die on us. So now I'm feeling even worse because this ticket will be attached to Kate's vehicle, name and ID# and if there are any points, she will get those as well.
For my anxiety's sake, I'm very thankful that the ticket has been posted online very quickly. 500 QR or $137 seems a bit excessive, but the fact that that they didn't give me (or technically didn't give Kate) any points has me relieved!
I have learned my lesson! You better believe that I never want to be face to face with the Doha Police ever again!
Today I went to the grocery store and unfortunately I was one ingredient short for my dinner after searching high and low. This happens pretty often since you're never guaranteed a specific item in any of the stores. Here one week, gone the next... never to be back again, or if you're lucky it'll be fully stocked on the shelf next week. It's a mystery. Either way, I had to run to another store before returning home. I pulled into the parking garage at the local mall, which is always a frustrating situation. People pulling out in front you, people strolling down the center of the road taking their good old time, and the parking spots always filled. After scouring the first few rows I finally eyed up an empty spot. I made a quick left and pulled into the 3rd spot on the right. At the end of the row I see a police officer writing another unhappy shopping customer a ticket. I thought to myself, "that's strange" because I see police all the time, but I never actually see them working. The police officer started to pull up to my car. I got out of my vehicle and walked over to the police car after they motioned me over and I was face to face with 2 uniformed Arab officers. They proceed to tell me that I pulled the wrong way into a one way lane of the parking garage. First off, I have NEVER EVER seen the "one way" lanes being observed in this parking garage or any for that matter. The signage is terrible, so it's practically impossible to even tell which way you're supposed to be going. It's usually every man for themselves, cars going every which direction, and complete chaos. This particular day, I needed one extra ingredient, and I end up with a ticket.
Now for those of you that know me.... you'll vouch for the fact that I have a panic attack if a medic speeds up behind me and just the thought of getting pulled over makes me breath funny. I tend to be a pretty safe driver and abide by the speed limit. I'm extra careful here because I watch way to much Locked Up Abroad on the Discovery Channel. And although I'm not attempting to smuggle drugs or engage in any other illegal activity, a run in with the police might throw me over the edge. So you can imagine my reaction when the cop asks for my license. Especially because I don't exactly have a valid Qatari drivers license yet. I check my pulse, I mean my purse.... and realize I don't even have my International Drivers License on me because I had just switched handbags a few days before. But to be honest, I'm not sure that it would have mattered. We're really not completely sure how long the International Drivers license is valid in Qatar. The expiration on the license gives me one year, but Qatar is constantly changing the rules and not really posting it anywhere. Some believe that the International license is only good for one week. I play a little dumb and hand him my passport, all the while I'm sweating profusely (it's 93 degrees out and I'm in a non-airconditioned parking garage...NOT HELPING). I'm also shaking like a leaf and probably wouldn't have known my name if they asked me. Am I Liz or Laura, Sinapi or Taylor.... Breeeaath!! Good thing they didn't ask. The officer looks at my passport and asks again for my license. I tell him that my resident's permit has not gone through yet, which would mean that I don't have my license yet. He shakes his head and looks a little disappointed, but hands my passport back. At this point, I'm considering making a run for it, but I know I wouldn't make it too far in my flip flops and this desert heat. So I stand there and wait, thinking of all the worst case scenarios. Me driving away in the back of the police car, deported for driving without a license. Or worse yet, thrown in jail. After what seems like an hour, but was probably just minutes, he hands over a ticket. I thank him (which was probably very confusing to both of the officers in the vehicle) and apologize a few times. I take my ticket and for all I know, it says I've been deported... because the whole thing is in Arabic (except the very clear "Traffic Violation" written at the bottom). I'm putting the ticket back into my car and realize that this whole scene was being witnessed by about 4 or 5 of the nice little car washing men. I'm shaking my head and one of them asks "How much is the ticket?" or at least that's what I've heard. We exchange a few words and realize neither of us are understanding the other. I show him the ticket and he looks at it, then flips it 180 degrees and takes another look. Then he laughs and says "Arabic". Obviously neither of us can read Arabic, so I'd have to wait until I got home to check the amount online.
The tickets here are actually written out to the vehicle, so he didn't have to collect any of my information. But the problem is that I was borrowing Kate's car because yesterday our car very conveniently had two of the back window motors die on us. So now I'm feeling even worse because this ticket will be attached to Kate's vehicle, name and ID# and if there are any points, she will get those as well.
For my anxiety's sake, I'm very thankful that the ticket has been posted online very quickly. 500 QR or $137 seems a bit excessive, but the fact that that they didn't give me (or technically didn't give Kate) any points has me relieved!
Here's a snapshot of the website where we have to continuously check for tickets. We have speeding cameras that will snap your photo and issue a ticket without you ever knowing if you don't check online.
I have learned my lesson! You better believe that I never want to be face to face with the Doha Police ever again!
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