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UAE cops rescue man stuck in traffic, help him reach airport

Sharjah - The police patrol located his vehicle in the traffic, took the hard shoulder and asked him to follow.

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Sanil Mathew still can't believe that unforgettable generosity. Back in Al Ain after a lightning trip to his hometown in Kerala for a day, Mathew has no words to thank the Sharjah Police, who made his journey possible when he was stuck in traffic for more than an hour on his way to the Sharjah airport on Tuesday.

A resident of Al Ain for 10 years, Mathew booked a ticket on Air India Express flight to Thiruvananthapuram for Tuesday, at 8.45pm. And the return ticket was taken for Wednesday night. Everything was fine till Tuesday evening when he started from Al Ain by 5pm after dropping his wife to office. He was driving himself to the airport, thinking that it would be easier to return the next day from Sharjah to Al Ain when he comes back from India.

Things turned around when he reached Sajja. "It was a long queue of vehicles and I didn't know what to do. Minutes before that I was at ease, thinking that I could reach the airport on time. The flight was at 8.45pm and the check-in counter was about to be closed by 7.30. I thought I would reach the airport before 7pm," said Mathew.

Shibu, a relative of Mathew who also resides in Al Ain, told Khaleej Times that he received a frantic call from his cousin around 7pm. "He told me about the traffic block and was worried about the time. He was going on an emergency trip and was afraid that he would miss the flight. At 7.15pm, I advised him to return to Al Ain as the check-in counters at the airport would be closed by the time he reaches there."

Five minutes later, Shibu received another call from Sanil. It was a call of respite. "He told me that he already called 999 and explained his situation. The police asked about his location and vehicle details."

"I was in a desperate situation. I dialled 999 after seeing a vehicle in front which had the number written on it, asking to call in case of emergency. I even didn't know to explain my exact location. Instead, I gave them the details of my vehicle and my phone number."

What happened next was unbelievable. A team of the Sharjah Police patrols approached Mathew within 15 minutes and asked for his travel documents. After going through that, he was asked to follow the police vehicle, which took the hard shoulder to reach the airport.

By 8.05pm, the police vehicle escorted him to the airport parking. But the story didn't end there.

Another policeman was waiting for him at the airport. He was taken to the check-in counter, which was already closed. The policeman asked the staff to make the check-in done and then took him to the immigration counter.

"When the immigration check was over, the policeman shook my hand. After giving them all these troubles, he wished me good luck and happy journey."

Sanil reached Al Ain early morning on Thursday, back from a tiring trip. But he said the incident would help him look at the world in a different way. "The help you receive once from such a place would make you believe in humanity and God. The generosity of the Sharjah Police is something I never expected or even heard of. That gives me a positive feel and fills optimism in my mind," said Mathew.

anu@khaleejtimes.com

It's part of our duty, says police chief

Amira Agarib

Commenting on the incident, Brigadier Saif Mohammad Al Ziri Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of the Sharjah Police, said that the act of the police is part of the strategies set by the UAE government to provide distinguished services to all citizens and residents and to achieve their happiness, especially in the Year of Giving.

He said that the Sharjah Police are directing their cadres to deal with the public in a humanitarian way. "The police should be available round the clock and be ready to provide help to every needy person. What the police patrols officials did was part of their social responsibility in responding to and solving problems of community members.

"As policemen, we do not raise slogans, we do what we believe practical and we implement that on the ground, he said, adding that such incidents happen everyday and we consider them to be the core of our duty."

Brig. Al Shamsi praised the role of the police patrol and officials who helped the passenger after considering his situation.

He confirmed that Sharjah Police officials will remain devoted to keeping the emirate peaceful and secure and providing standard services to people.

amira@khaleejtimes.com

A Facebook post that went viral

After the incident, Sanil's cousin Shibu posted about it on Facebook and it got hundreds of shares among the Malayalee community. More than that, the post was shared in many WhatsApp groups.

Shibu said a bad experience he had faced in India prompted him to post it. "I am not comparing the police. But what the Sharjah Police did was unbelievable. In India, you will face the opposite. Instead of helping you, the police will put you in more trouble. That's my experience," said Shibu.

He added that this experience would give confidence to the residents of the UAE that the authorities would be there in every emergency situation.