Since Dave returned to Canada on Apr. 2, I have been compelled to provide my own transportation. It would be stupid to have a nice Nissan X-trail sitting in my carport and refuse to drive it, wouldn't it? So all through the month of March, I practiced on the roundabouts with Dave in the passenger seat giving encouragement. Most often I went out on Friday mornings when the traffic is slow, building up to driving to school each morning, and growing my confidence each time behind the wheel. I'm feeling pretty good about it now, and I must say that it is great to have my own wheels. I don't have to rely on anyone to get my groceries, go to work (if my schedule happens to vary from Sheila's), get my hair cut, go to church, etc. I have a feeling that Dave is not so confident about my ability. He probably cringes when he thinks about me behind the wheel in Doha traffic, and he has good reason--my driving record hasn't been that great.
The biggest thing about driving in Doha is the roundabouts. A few intersections have traffic lights, but mostly the traffic flows counterclockwise through these circles, exiting at the appropriate street--right, straight ahead, all the way around to the left, or even complete u-turn back the way you came. For the most part, they are an efficient way to move traffic.The difficulty occurs when cars are in the wrong lane for where they want to exit. Moving across from the middle lane to a right exit is bound to get you in trouble, unless you move very fast. Which brings me to the other danger in roundabouts--very fast moving vehicles. Patience is not a virtue in this country, and drivers do not want to wait for anyone to get out of their way--especially not a middle-aged white woman who doesn't seem to know what she's doing. So they tend to whip past me like nobody's business.
To complicate matters, some of the roundabouts have lights, and you could be stopped at every exit all the way around. You really have to keep your eyes open, not only to see all the lights but also to decide what they mean. At some intersections a flashing yellow means that you can go, the light will soon turn green. At others a flashing yellow means you should stop because the light will soon turn red. Sometimes a flashing green means you can go, sometimes it means slow down because it soon will turn yellow. Go figure! Driving in Doha is never boring.
One thing that I can say about my driving is that I know my limitations. Driving at night is one of them. I haven't worked up enough courage to do that--and maybe never will, for a few reasons. First of all, this is not a pedestrian-friendly city. No sidewalks, no crosswalks, no crossing lights. But there are plenty of pedestrians--walkers (including women in black abayas), bicyclers, often with a passenger on cross-bar and none with helmets, children. I'm terrified that I will not see someone trying to cross a busy street before it is too late. Second, the Arabs come out at night. And no, that is not a racist comment. It's true, and considering that temperatures get up to 40 plus in the daytime, it's pretty reasonable. Traffic picks up considerably after dark. The streets are congested, roundabouts are backed up, and in general it is not a pretty sight. Besides that, Arabs also like to drive fast. You can look in your rear-view mirror and see a monster SUV bearing down on you with his headlights bright and flashing. "Get out of the way! I'm coming through!" At least they give you fair warning.
Last night I wanted to get to choir practice. Sheila, my usual partner in crime and loyal night transport, is away this week on a much deserved vacation. So I called Johnson. Mr. Johnson is a private taxi service who has a wonderful reputation with Canadian ex-pats, both in this compound and AJL. True to his reputation he arrived at my door just a little early and delivered me to the American School of Doha in less than 15 minutes. (He drives a little faster than I do.) He knew all the short cuts and back alleys and how to avoid the congested areas. Then he collected me at 8:30 and delivered me home again by 8:45.
I've got to say it's great to be able to drive. It's also great to be able to hire a driver. I'm independent either way.
