Driving Safely in Foggy Condition

I am not used to drive in foggy conditions. It is a common occurrence here in the UAE especially when the season is changing. We are used to the weather but navigating through main thoroughfares with other motorists who have no consideration to other human lives is another story.

Fog is a thick cloud bank that lies low in the ground. Visibility can be affected and most and if the fog is very thick, then you can expect a zero visibility. This condition is the scariest for motorists because you don't know if there is a vehicle in front of you and if it is slowing down or not.

Here are tips to drive safely in foggy condition:

• Check weather conditions and be aware so you can prepare in advance.
• Use your fog lights if it is installed in your vehicle. Is you live in a place where foggy condition is common, install fog lights in your vehicle.
• Do not drift in the middle of the line and stay in line as much as possible. Use your right side as a guide.
• If you are driving with someone else, please ask the help of your passenger to watch out for any oncoming traffic.
• Keep a safe distance. One full length of a car is normally the safe distance between 2 vehicles. However, in foggy weather, allow at least 2 full length of car distance.
• Do not speed up. It is difficult to know if the vehicle in front of you is slowing down if the fog is thick.
• Keep your defroster and wiper on if necessary because the moisture in the air can collect on your windshield making driving more difficult.
• Pull over to the side of the road if the visibility is zero. Better yet, let the fog settle and it normally clears mid-morning. If you can afford to skip work for few hours then do so. I would rather be late than sorry.

The Ferrari Goes Zoom

I have been around town since morning trying to figure out why my salary has not been released. I already received my payslip 4 days ago. Sigh...

I was cruising along Amman Street according to the speed limit of 60 kph. I noticed that the RTA installed a new traffic signal on the newly opened junction in Al Nahda crossing Amman Street going to the back streets of Sahara Centre in Sharjah. A Ferrari zoomed by the taxi in front of me causing the latter to break few metres from the junction. Thank goodness I was not speeding or else, I would have kissed the rear of the cab. And that Ferrari, you might ask, zoomed to the junction without a warning and in lightning speed.

I thought, if that driver keeps doing what he does to harm people and other motorists, he would probably end up somewhere not very inviting. I could just imagine Ferrari parts flying everywhere.

People cannot use "fasting" as an excuse to drive recklessly. These lunatics drive like Evil Knievel even when it is not Ramadan. So, what could be that driver's excuse for being a menace on the road?

Off to the Airport

I am still dizzy but have to snap out of this morning disorientation because I have to drive my husband to the airport in a short while. Good thing about driving in the morning is that there are few motorists on the road and it is not traffic. I can easily zoom home.

My hubby's going to pick our daughter from Manila after her one and a half long summer vacation. I am sure that she is very thrilled to be back in Dubai because she'll get to see Millie again and her friends in school. 

Okay, I have to sign off for now. I will be the driver today. 

Tinted Windows and More

Summer has officially arrived here in Dubai. It did make a grand entrance by making us feel the dry and scorching heat of Dubai's summer sun. Our bodies are like being baked in the oven. Running from the air-conditioned premise of our home and the office to our car parked outside is such a feat! Imagine those poor vehicles left under the very hot sun's rays for long. If they can only talk, I am sure they are already cursing us.

My husband is planning to have our car's window tinted and he will check for other car accessories to help diffuse the extreme heat. I don't know why we never had it tinted in the first place when we took the car from the dealer. They were already offering discounted rates and branded tints but we begged off. My husband just don't like how the people here apply the tints on the windows. They put the tints "outside" the window and not from the inner part. So, in due time, the tint wears and tears and make it virtually impossible to see from the inside. It is very hazardous.

I am thankful though that our vehicle is well maintained. At least I am not so worried about the air-condition unit breaking down or prematurely lose its freon. My husband and I just feel that we have to do this soon or we will end up toasted from the sun's unforgiving heat.

Silly Drivers!

I really don't get it when drivers here in Dubai just park relentlessly in the middle of the road and when asked to move or be honked, they get mad at you. I had a spat few days ago with a young "bleep" driver who was stupid enough to park his car in the middle of the road when it was the only main road available to get through. Speaking of right of way, I had (and by all means) the right of way. He should have parked on the side and turned his hazards on if he was waiting for someone.

Grrr...I wonder how he got his driver's licence when clearly he was ignorant of the traffic rules and right of way principle. This place is really a haven for manic drivers lacking the right mind-set and experience to be a responsible driver.