One of the very worst things about Doha is driving in Doha. I've found the people here to be very refined, dignified and respectful ... at least until they get behind the wheel. They do have well-defined driving laws here such as, no cell phone use when driving, only park in designated areas, speed cameras everywhere, and well marked lanes on the roads. The only problem is that nobody either knows of the laws or doesn't give a rat's ass ... probably the latter.The first month I was here, Rhonda drove me to work and to shop, etc., which was great. But I knew I needed to get my own vehicle and learn to drive here. After seeing what driving was like as a passenger and driving Rhonda's car a few times, I realized I had a choice ... get a tank or a very fast car to survive. I chose the latter because I couldn't find a tank complete with ammunition for the canon.
My rule-of-thumb for driving here is as follows: If another vehicle looks like he might be able to cut into your lane, he definitely will, and if it looks like there's no way he could squeeze in, he definitely will. The only way to drive here is what I would call the defensive-aggressive style of driving. That means don't trust any other driver not to do something stupid (because they will), and if you are going to go ... GO!
The majority of roads are multi-lane divided highways with the average city speed limit of between 80 - 100 km/hr, and for the most part, they have roundabouts instead of intersections. The rule of roundabouts is that the inside lane has the right of way ... only no one knows that here. It wouldn't be so bad if the drivers here knew what that thing is sticking out of the left side of the steering column (the turn signal), but they apparently do not as no one uses them except some Canadian drivers. My new car even has fairly large side flashers so other drivers can see your signal even if they are beside you ... not that it matters to them.
I love my new car ... a BMW Z4 ... the ultimate roundabout tool. Not many other vehicles can do a roundabout like I can ... except for the Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Maseratis, Porsches, etc., of which there are more than a few. I now look forward to my trips to and from work ... I refer to them as rally races, because that's pretty much what they are.
This is the view of my car that I like to give other drivers as often as possible because, only then do I feel they won't hit me ... at least until the next roundabout.The term 'woman driver' here takes on a whole new meaning. One really disconcerting thing is that they wear black head coverings ... some completely covering their face. Seeing them anywhere near me makes me nervous especially when they are using their cell phone ... which is all the time.
