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Anyone else noticed....

Anyone else noticed....

Old Nov 2nd 2011, 8:39 am
  #31  
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Default Re: Anyone else noticed....

Originally Posted by kittycat1
oo lala in return I can get you some knickers :-)
Ooh, thanks Kitty, that would be lovely
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Old Nov 2nd 2011, 8:41 am
  #32  
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Default Re: Anyone else noticed....

Originally Posted by Ethos83
We know the worst drivers are Arab men. Especially Gulf Arab men. In my time in Dubai I never noticed white women driving noticeably worse than other cultural groups so methinks it's a case of people wanting to find another reason to fault the expat housewife cliche.
I was driving at 110kph on a slip road (80 limit) near Emirates Rd this morning and was followed by a black Porsche Cheyenne driven by a blonde non-Arab woman in glasses, who could not have been more than 2ft behind me. You know who you are!
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Old Nov 2nd 2011, 8:46 am
  #33  
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Default Re: Anyone else noticed....

Originally Posted by mentalist
I was driving at 110kph on a slip road (80 limit) near Emirates Rd this morning and was followed by a black Porsche Cheyenne driven by a blonde non-Arab woman in glasses, who could not have been more than 2ft behind me. You know who you are!
Oh dear, I do that, although it wasn't me... did she have AD plates?
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Old Nov 2nd 2011, 9:11 am
  #34  
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Default Re: Anyone else noticed....

Originally Posted by mentalist
I was driving at 110kph on a slip road (80 limit) near Emirates Rd this morning and was followed by a black Porsche Cheyenne driven by a blonde non-Arab woman in glasses, who could not have been more than 2ft behind me. You know who you are!
Lisa Millhouse sends her apologies but kindly requests you get the **** out of the way next time.
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Old Nov 2nd 2011, 9:29 am
  #35  
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Default Re: Anyone else noticed....

what's a cheyenne? A Chinese rip off?
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Old Nov 2nd 2011, 9:43 am
  #36  
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Default Re: Anyone else noticed....

Originally Posted by kittycat1
Does anyone know if the drivers actually get any training in regards to where things are? or perhaps a map in their car? Or are they literally given the keys? I had a 'new' driver the other day who came back with no mam I don't now where that is- What- Mall of Emirates- seriously? I could have wrapped my hands around his neck! When I offered him directions as in Ill telll you when to turn off SZR I was answered with no mam I don't know it- what you don't know SZR? ARGGHHHH!I try my hardest not to get frustrated by drivers but every once in a while one will catch me on an off day. I sometimes wonder if its that they can't understand my accent or something, my very clear english non regional accent or they just do it to wind you up!

Also the ones that cherry pick-is that allowed?- no mam im about to finish my shift- well don't stop for a fare then.... pull out hair smilie

ok rant over- Im going to get a car- and be one of these scary white women drivers!

I guess they are just sent out and hope for the best. You can guarantee that anyone who is new or a tourist will get a driver who doesn't know common routes too.

And no, they aren't allowed to cherry pick. They have to take any fare within their emirate. If they try and refuse you can tell them you know they have to take you, or suggest that you'll report them otherwise. Usually works. Mind you, you'll also see drivers trying to choose passengers based on nationality/appearance as some tend to give better tips.
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Old Nov 2nd 2011, 12:22 pm
  #37  
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Default Re: Anyone else noticed....

Originally Posted by Ethos83
I also find it ironic that you are complaining about the scarcity of taxi drivers and yet you live in Dubai, ostensibly a Muslim country.

Even I know eid al adha is coming up shortly and eid al adha is the most popular Muslim holiday for it's when Muslims are supposed to go home to their families for feasting and celebration. It's the busiest travel period in the Muslim world.

Given that most taxi drivers are from Pakistan, it's probably no surprise that as the eid rolls around the drivers have flocked home.
So they flocked home a month ago did they?
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Old Nov 2nd 2011, 2:39 pm
  #38  
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Default Re: Anyone else noticed....

Originally Posted by Meow
And no, they aren't allowed to cherry pick. They have to take any fare within their emirate. If they try and refuse you can tell them you know they have to take you, or suggest that you'll report them otherwise. Usually works. Mind you, you'll also see drivers trying to choose passengers based on nationality/appearance as some tend to give better tips.
The problem is they then drive even more manically than usual so they can drop you off, get to where ever they're going to pass on the taxi and clock off. Had exactly this problem at the airport a few weeks ago and I was only going to downtown so not really an expansive trek across town.

Can't remember if the new 'Safer driver' scheme got brought up on here yet - http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-n...-in-safe-hands - but either way its worth mentioning again. Exactly what kind of message they thought this was giving out is beyond me, 'take one of our safer taxis that cost more, or one of the regular ones in which you will surely die in a firey ball of metal and rubber'. Utter genius.
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Old Nov 2nd 2011, 4:58 pm
  #39  
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Default Re: Anyone else noticed....

Originally Posted by kittycat1
Does anyone know if the drivers actually get any training in regards to where things are? or perhaps a map in their car? Or are they literally given the keys? I had a 'new' driver the other day who came back with no mam I don't now where that is- What- Mall of Emirates- seriously? I could have wrapped my hands around his neck! When I offered him directions as in Ill telll you when to turn off SZR I was answered with no mam I don't know it- what you don't know SZR? ARGGHHHH!I try my hardest not to get frustrated by drivers but every once in a while one will catch me on an off day. I sometimes wonder if its that they can't understand my accent or something, my very clear english non regional accent or they just do it to wind you up!

Also the ones that cherry pick-is that allowed?- no mam im about to finish my shift- well don't stop for a fare then.... pull out hair smilie

ok rant over- Im going to get a car- and be one of these scary white women drivers!
Reminds me of the fun and games I had talking the guys from Buggerit rent a car to the RTA office at Barsha to pick up my Nissan Scummy hire jalopy...
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Old Nov 3rd 2011, 11:27 pm
  #40  
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Default Re: Anyone else noticed....

Getting back to the OP's post about how hard it is to get a cab ... never had any problem before tonight. Called the usual 2080808 number and had to call four times before we could get through. And then, when we did get through and put in the usual auotmated details it took 50 minutes for a cab to arrive. We're at Arabian Ranches and with a rank just up the road at the 'mall' we normally never have to wait more than five or ten minutes. On the way to our destination on SZR ( at around 8.30pm) we noticed on the driver's display it said something like, "Dear driver, please head to Dubai Mall as there are many, many customers and take them where they want" or something like that.

Am I just imagining it or is Dubai getting busier, back to the so-called good old days? There are far more lorries on the roads, general traffic is heavier, construction seems to be on the increase and the malls seem to have far more people in them, especially early on Friday mornings - early being around 10.30am or so.
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Old Nov 4th 2011, 12:14 am
  #41  
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Default Re: Anyone else noticed....

Eid Holiday...Schools were out in Saudi about the same time frame Spugsy started this thread.

Arab Spring changes destinations of Saudi vacationers

The source said due to the rising number of Saudis going to the UAE, the airline was operating four flights daily to Dubai.

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article528155.ece
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Old Nov 4th 2011, 6:03 am
  #42  
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Default Re: Anyone else noticed....

Originally Posted by hnd
Am I just imagining it or is Dubai getting busier, back to the so-called good old days? There are far more lorries on the roads, general traffic is heavier, construction seems to be on the increase and the malls seem to have far more people in them, especially early on Friday mornings - early being around 10.30am or so.
I think you are right. I'm not suggesting that this is the cause of the lack of taxis but things do seem to be picking up a bit for sure.
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Old Nov 4th 2011, 9:47 am
  #43  
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Default Re: Anyone else noticed....

Originally Posted by Ethos83
Given that most taxi drivers are from Pakistan, it's probably no surprise that as the eid rolls around the drivers have flocked home.
Aaah, flocked, such a "Gulf Newsy" word, people "flocked" to the parks, "families "flocked" to the malls, and so on

Btw not that many drivers go home just for Eid, not that many anyhow to make a noticeable difference in the roads.
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Old Nov 4th 2011, 9:50 am
  #44  
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Default Re: Anyone else noticed....

Dubai picked up in terms of roads getting busy, etc sometime from the end of last year. And yes, Saudis do seem to come in droves whenever the schools are out there, in July you would see more Saudis than Emiratis in some places, and they are back again,..
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Old Nov 4th 2011, 11:44 am
  #45  
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Default Re: Anyone else noticed....

Originally Posted by Maxima
Aaah, flocked, such a "Gulf Newsy" word, people "flocked" to the parks, "families "flocked" to the malls, and so on

Btw not that many drivers go home just for Eid, not that many anyhow to make a noticeable difference in the roads.
Still, it's not as bad as the running joke amongst the BBC's editorial staff to use the word 'probed' when it comes to any news involving sex crimes.
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