Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Dear Betsy, Eureka! A Gulf country has banned smoking in bars and restaurants and is trying to stop youngsters killing themselves with sheesha.
Now all they have to do is find a way to stop all those traffic fumes from choking everyone stuck on congested roads.
When I lived in Dubai it took me 90 minutes to get to work and 90 minutes to get back home again. I know Bahrain is not perfect but at least the traffic here is not that bad, yet.
I am sure they will ban smoking soon in Bahrain but when will they sort out the horrific driving?
Surely there are more people killed on the roads here than are killed by smoking?
Why can't the traffic police just enforce the laws and stop all those boys and, even worse, those girl racers from putting our lives in jeopardy. I also don't understand how ladies who wear the veil can see properly when they are driving. Surely their peripheral vision is obstructed? These Betsy are the issues you should be concentrating on.
A Defensive Driver
Dear Defensive Driver,
You have a good point, there are far too many people killed on our roads (even one, is one too many).
To answer your question about the traffic police enforcing laws, I feel that they are improving.
I have noticed many more traffic cars with their flashing blue lights stopped on the roadside with wayward drivers. There seems to be a more aggressive police presence on the roads ... do readers agree?
A short car journey anywhere in the kingdom allows us to witness lots of laws being broken: talking on a mobile, driving without seatbelts, driving with a child on your lap, a small child in the front passenger seat, driving without lights on at night or driving with broken lights, vastly exceeding the speed limit and tailgating.
The sheer number of lawbreakers on the roads is so overwhelming that we probably need one traffic policeman for every three citizens to cope with all of them.
Education and law enforcement I believe are the keys to safer roads. We need a sustained, concentrated educational campaign in English and Arabic, on television, in the newspapers and magazines, at schools, universities, colleges, companies, clubs and societies and on billboards.
The police need to get tough and enforce traffic laws and perhaps study launching a system similar to that in the UK where driving offences earn you negative 'points' and when you reach a certain number of points then you lose your license for a set period of time. Driving Instructors need to be periodically re-tested and strict teaching and learning controls put in place.
Let's face it, at the moment the law is no real deterrent, as most drivers don't believe it relates to them or that they WILL be prosecuted.
Just pick up any newspaper in Bahrain and you are unfortunately sure to read of the latest dreadful road accident.
I was one of the hapless drivers stuck in traffic for two hours on the day of the V8 racing cars accident. It drove me crazy to witness several police cars trying their best to reach the crash site but thwarted at every turn by those thoughtless selfish drivers who blocked the hard shoulder, preventing access to the emergency services.
What if there had been serious casualties and this was the only access to the victims? I dread to think of the consequences.
This is not a case where ignorance is bliss, it is a case where ignorance is downright dangerous.
As for veiled ladies being allowed to drive, our traffic expert tells me that this is legal.
Out of curiosity I did try it and yes I agree that apart from feeling claustrophobic it certainly restricted my peripheral vision and even more so when I wore my spectacles too. But, consider what the alternatives would be ... banning veiled women from driving? Banning all women from driving? What would be next? It could be a slippery slope to Saudi.
DO YOU HAVE ANY VIEWS ON DRIVING IN THE KINGDOM? EMAIL ME.
Dear Betsy,
Re: Pomegranates
An excellent way to peel them.
Cut in half - place in hand over a bowl and bash (the pomegranate) with a rolling pin. Seeds come out brilliantly.
An excellent combination.
Raspberries, blueberries and pomegranate. Splash of orange juice. Has to be good for you.
Gail
Dear Gail,
Thanks for sharing your tip with us. Now I know what a rolling pin is for! I did try your combination of fruits, it was delicious and full of healthy vitamins and minerals.
HAVE YOU GOT A FAVOURITE HEALTH TIP YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH US? EMAIL_ME.
