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Traffic jam? Sip coffee, chat with friends
DUBAI/SHARJAH — Many would agree that the journey from home in Sharjah to work in Dubai, and back again at the end of the day, saps our energies and challenges even the most mild mannered among us to keep tempers in check. People, however, find novel and unconventional ways to cope with stress, and a thermos full of coffee or tea and a favourite music cassette, their daily companion on these trips that may stretch to two or three hours in some cases, help one relax.
Friendships are born on the road, and in some cases old friendships are rekindled. Old pals who have not seen each other for years meet in endless traffic jams and catch up on old times, promising to call the next day and visit soon. These are just some of the traffic chronicles.
Sahar leaves home very early in the morning, drops her eldest son at the university and her youngest at school every day, and this morning routine could be long and exhausting, but she faces it with stoic resilience.
“The other day, we were stuck in a traffic jam and the driver in front, in a rare show of hospitality, got out of his car and asked me if I would like to have some coffee. He even had a spare cup. We ended up sipping coffee, smoking and chatting for 15 minutes before the traffic began to move again, it was almost surreal,” Samantha said.
“On the other hand, not all experiences are so pleasant. Once I was stuck for 30 minutes between two trucks just before Al Khan roundabout, and neither of them could move because traffic was at a standstill. Finally, another driver took pity on me, got out of his car and went up to one of the truck drivers and asked if he could move his truck just a few inches to allow me to pass,” Sahar added.
Rehab, a Palestinian resident of Sharjah, was on her way to work with friends early in the morning when she spotted a familiar face in the vehicle next to her. She rolled down her window and waved at the woman in the rear passenger seat of that car who returned a friendly smile and rolled down her window as well.
“We spent the entire trip, from Al Mulla Plaza Tunnel to Qiyada Tunnel, which lasted about 20 minutes, chatting and catching up. I learned that my friend’s daughter got married, that she had gone back to Jordan with her husband who got a good job offer with a UN agency. We even had time to talk about developments on the political front in Palestine and events in Lebanon,” Rehab said.
Rami is a civil engineer living in Sharjah and working in Dubai. Each day he searches for new routes to take to Dubai: “The other day I thought of taking the sandy route behind Sahara Centre. The scene was unbelievable. It was an exodus of vehicles of every description – buses, trucks, cranes, saloon cars – all making their way through what was left of the desert, sending up clouds of dust in their wake. It was as bad as Al Ittihad road with cars moving at a snail's pace. I despair sometimes and seriously consider sleeping in my car rather than endure such torture," he said.
So, friends, smile and cheer up, you are not alone.
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