Civilisation???

Word was out sometime ago that the benevelont powers that be in Sharjah have instituted some new safety rules in our interest.

Now before the one reader I have cheers and does a cartwheel, allow me to elaborate and dampen your enthusiasm.

If you are a regular driver in the UAE you are most probably aware of who or what causes you to fear for you life daily. They list of dangers include:

• Blacked out 4x4s hurtling down on you.
• Tailgaters
• Last minute merging (the ass who waits until the last minute to enter the lane)
• 5 lanes turning into 3 (Garhoud Bridge for example)
• Hard Shoulder Drivers
• The racers
• The sluggish sunnys
• etc etc etc

Apparently the real cause for accidents (according to our friends in Sharjah) is not anyone of the above but, cyclists...... Cyclists. You know those old rusty ones ridden by the subcon labourers on their way to work or to deliver your precious groceries.

These scum on their cycles apparently are the most menacing and troublemaking element on the roads. With their ability to tailgate and hurtle down on you at speeds of over 10Km per hour, they have quickly become the major menace on Sharjah's gridlocked roads.

So Sharjah has gone ahead and banned the use of cyclists altogether, citing that the cyclists cause accidents and destroy the civilised look of the emirate. Thats right a space saving and environment friendly method of transportation is not civilised. People, I think we all need to take some lessons on civilisation from Sharjah the 40yr old emirate.

Who cares if we have just deprived these poor labourers of their only means of transportation. Who cares now that for many of these labourers the only alternative to get to work is to share a taxi (which they should definitely be able to afford on their 500Dhs salaries). Guess who owns the taxis.

Who cares if once again the labourers are singled out for no fault except to be born to the wrong set of parents.

Our roads are now safe and I no longer have to worry about these menacing cyclists.

Hooray for Sharjah.