Millhouse

I also wonder how she thinks she's going to get from Mirdif to Festival City. Only option is a taxi, or car share

scrubbedexpat141

Taxi in Mirdiff won't be easy either....the mrs' school is up there and she can't NOT drive because she knows taxis don't exist.

Qwerty87

The driving horror stories have put her off driving. She was going to be getting transportation from the accommodation as she's a teacher.

Once we are out there I think she will end up driving as the convenience will outweigh any worries she might have about the roads.

scrubbedexpat141

Just make her drive immediately. It's not that bad.

co durham boy

It is compared to the UK , it will seem horrendous as it's relative . I find the driving here civilised compared to Qatar and Doha quite quaint compared to Jeddah.

You are right though , just get in the motor and get amongst it , there's no other way. In any case her sinus's will probably burn out with the smell of Eau De Peshwari Underknackers from the Taxi's

jam25mack

As a resident of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Mirdif I can confirm that the traffic is indeed a ball ache. As a resident you end up getting all the Sharjah scumbags coming on and then off the E311 in the morning and then vice versa at night.

My office is at the top of SZR by Crowne Plaza and in the morning I go past Festival City and then over Business Bay, past Dubai Mall and then round the back of SZR. Generally it takes me 30 mins leaving at 07:45.... ish. In the evenings, say 19:00 I go back via SZR and then over Garhoud Bridge (Business Bay is slower). This can take anywhere between 30 mins and an hour. If theres a crash then you're looking at an hour each way.

scrubbedexpat141

You're completely right of course, I get frustrated over here with the dickheads but when you breathe, control the feeling of dragging these halfwits from their car and smashing their face off their own bonnet, you find that actually there is an inner peace to be had. They are much, much more likely to advertise natural selection one day and hurtle themselves through their own windscreen at 160.

But I find that when driving here, success is based on doing a few things, OP, these are for your wife;

1. Check twice as many times as you would in UK. When changing lanes for example, I probably look 4 times and ACTUALLY look in the blind spot here.
2. Be ****ing positive. If looking to change lanes, wait, check, check, spot the gap, indicate, go. If you indicate and hesitate the **** with a short sleeved shirt (pen in pocket), awful tash, reactive lens glasses in the Pajero will floor it so you can't get in.
3. Be prepared to get lost a lot and use google maps a lot.
4. Use a shit Lancer hire car for a few months first (I did 6 in Terry the Lancerghini) because if, like me, you might be focusing on something else and bump a hidden block in a car park, the dodgy rental place might only charge you 300 dizzers because you didn't tell the old bill.
5. Try not to get too angry

Millhouse

Mirdif to DIFC was 30mins in the morning, and not less than 45-50 at night. Obviously 18 mins on a friday morning.

My all time record was 2 hours in the morning and 1hr 45 at night. I would stop off at DFC and go to the gym to break the journey some nights.

mikewot

6. Look on the inside lane as well before changing lanes because they will undertake you.
7. When you are being tailgated, and its impossible to let the imbecile past except by levitating, stop looking in the rear mirror, ignore it.
8. Treat everyone like idiots and if there is a stupid thing they could do then imagine they will do it i.e. move from the very left lane across 6 lanes of traffic to the exit with only 100 metres to get to it, doing 140 with the mobile clamped to their face.
9. Ignore indicators as they are probably not going to turn in that direction.
10. If you are waiting to get onto a roundabout the doofus in the far right lane WILL do a full 270 turn around the roundabout.
11. Always call the cops if you have a smack because Terry FWit from mingingstan will grin and be friendly and say sorry it was his fault, but when it comes to insurance claim time it will be your fault.
12. Check parking times in parking slots, except for Friday everywhere seems to be different and its 150 dits a hit.
13. Use your cruise control so you are not getting zapped by the 1million and 1 speed cameras here. They are an extremely effective deterrent, with only 2.97 million speeding fines in 2014.

co durham boy

They should hand this out at the doors to T3

jam25mack

I then like to gradually slow down and move into the next lane at approximately negative 2 degrees off the road alignment.

Totally. I used to ride sports bikes here and that's the only way to drive. Be defensive and get in the habit of trying to predict the unexpected.

True. All the while pretending they don't speak English.

Most of those were mine.... No CC and lots of time spent traversing the country does not make for a fine free life.