Crossing Roads

Will convinced me to go shopping after school (4 o’clock) for the sake of company. He went to Panda (Pick-n-Pay/Asda) and I went to Mango. (The one and only.) Mango had a sale and if you are buying for someone young and slim and opposite seasons, bargains are to be found. (Some lucky kid at home better be grateful!) So we’re meant to catch the 5 o’clock bus – which came dead on time. I watched all the Filipino ladies get off. Then I watched the bus take off. Then Will came. He thought I was joking when I told him we’d just missed our bus by five seconds. Fortunately I had my running shoes with me coz of PE. I sat there in the mall, taking off my high heel boots and putting on my comfy non-fashion shoes. Busses run every hour and I was certainly not going to sit there and wait. I discovered a shortcut and saw a beautiful mosque and a huge big mansion. We walked three quarters of the way home before I called it a day and said we should wait for the next bus. Didn’t feel like crossing the bridge. My hips are wider than the narrow walkway across! Walking home at peak time, we had to cross crazy main roads with any number of lanes running either way. (One has to remember to look the right way coz they drive the opposite side to what we’re accustomed to.) My running shoes came into their own as I sprinted across. Pedestrians are not common in Saudi and pedestrian crossings definitely non-existent. I remember how shit scared I was the first time I had to cross a road. It still scares me, but I’ve become a lot braver and certainly more comfortable with doing it. Crossing where there’s no middleman, is not advisable but sometimes unavoidable. The white line in the middle means nothing to no-one. I went halfway and turned my back – that way I would at least not see a hit coming. I probably scared some kind Saudi sufficiently - he slowed down, put on his hazards and allowed me time to finish the crossing. Good thing I understood his intent. Saudi drivers are downright mad. They speed – no-one ever cruises. Whenever I sit in front on a bus (something I never do by choice), I always tell the driver to go slow. I know how to say that in Arabic! And if there is an age-limit, it is certainly not enforced. Kids as young as 12 are sometimes on the roads. I teach 12-year olds and know exactly how great they are at making judgment calls! They are certainly not known for their common sense or quick responses. Small cars aren’t to be found. Guzzling big SUV’s, Land Cruisers, Chevrolets and the likes, abound. They advertise the fact that they have oil but no water. Clean cars – what’s that? I told one nurse that, given the way they drive, it was surprising how few accidents there were. Her answer was: true, but when they do have accidents, it’s almost always fatal. Exactly my cynical (practical) answer to Will: It will be over before you even know what hit you. His main concern is still that you will feel pain in that instant before you die. And on that happy note – enjoy your time on the road and please be careful!