auzdafluff

I lost my wallet with AED 2200 (which was for the second half of my flat deposit) in August. Had my UK bank card and drivers licence in it too. Luckily, I didn't have my credit cards or most of my other ID cards in there at the time (they were tucked away in the hotel safe).

I remember I got a receipt after the driver offered me one (which I usually didn't do unless it was work related). Two minutes after getting out of the cab, I realised I'd didn't have my wallet. I frantically rang the RTA help line but despite the fact I told him I had the car number and the driver number, the idiot insisted on taking all my details before he'd help me.

I then got angry at him and told him to forget about my details for the moment – and to just take the driver number, and car number, and get a message to him to turn around and get my wallet before another passenger got in the cab and found out it was payday.

The idiot refused and insisted on taking all of my details down. F****** prick. It's his fault I never got it back.

Millhouse

I think that was simply your first lesson in never getting angry with anyone in this region - it never works, especially if they are on the other end of the phone

lionheart

Officials over here and especially in KSA love to wind-up Westerners so they lose their temper. Its a national pastime.

Spugsy

nope not a cab driver, it fell on the pavement at about 2pm new years eve and someone gound it and handed it into HSBC.

Spugsy

its possible!

Spugsy

yup I went back to Dubai mall where I got the cab where I left my lacoste top, got the number but not the letters beforehand - rang all 5 companies and without the number they told me to bugger off basically - one actually yawned down teh phone as he took my details, I wanted to wring his neck.

Spugsy

I know, you're aboslutely right. Also if you ever, ever dea with the police be incredible humble, polite and patient.

Even if they are idiots.

Millhouse

We once found just over 3k GBP in a plastic bag on the pavement outside someone's house when walking back one night from the post box.

We took it home and there was nothing to identify it - in the end we decided that in the interests of karma, and the fact that only 2 weeks before one of our neighbours stabbed the other, to knock on the door of the house where we found the bag.

We were holding the bag and an Indian lady opened the door... 'oh my gosh, my bag, my bag, you have found it' - we decided that it was probably hers so handed it over. Didn't even get a somosa for our troubles.

Millhouse

indeed. I even thanked the kind police man who gave me the pink bit of paper for an accident that clearly wasn't my fault!

The Dean

She hadn't thought to pop outside to have a look?

She played you, my friend............

Bijilo123

Arrived at LHR and went through the red channel to declare £10k of currency that I was bringing from Kuwait. There were no forms so I picked up the phone and explained.

25 mins later a young officer arrived and said 'Sorry Mate - lunch'. And I hate being called Mate by an official.

So, not heeding your warning, I said 'It may be better if we call each other Sir - neither of us need to mean it'.

He called his colleagues and and they spent half an hour hasseling me and accusing me of money laundering!!

A Free Man

Lets try to remember that next time a Dubai Bashing thread is started here.

Ok?

Blue Cat

meaning what? there are plenty of threads on this site showing both the negative and positive sides to living in Dubai.

seven seas

What does that mean?
Does it invalidate any other negative aspects?

"I got slippered to death by a carpet salesman"

"Yes but you can't say that, because everyone is very careful about washing their hands after going to the toilet..."

Spugsy

bollocks, Dubai is a crazy glitzy city built too fast in the desert with more problems than anywhere i've ever been. Greedy, lazy locals, ever zealous police and yes, idiot drunk westeners. But that doesn't mean it's a great place because there are some honest people here.