My First Driving Experience
I drove for the first time yesterday after being here for one week. Just an FYI, I do NOT have a sense of direction. It's a disability I have and my family and friends are supportive. Unfortunately, there is no cure or medication out in the market.
It was was Scott’s birthday and we thought we would go to Landmark for lunch. That mall is only 5 minutes away. I get in the dirty black Trailblazer and figure out how to use the windshield wipers and indicator, but I can’t figure out the side mirrors to adjust them! When Scott and Brandon get in I asked them but they didn’t know either. Scott rolled down his window and adjusted it with his finger. I had to move the seat up because I'm so short, moved it too far and squished myself against the steering wheel. I think they laughed but it wasn't that funny.
Anyway, Brandon is giving me directions from the backseat, and kept saying “It’s a jeep, just drive” or something like that. It was a bit annoying. Shut up, Brandon! Anyway, we get to the mall, with them teasing me along the way, and decide to park underground. I didn’t realise there were arrows on the ground directing which way I should be driving.
When we leave, they laughed at me for letting a pedestrian pass, instead of running him over and flattening his nice suit. They thought I was too slow YIELDING on to the main road. If it was a merge, I’d have gunned it! Anyway, right away is my first roundabout. Aaaah! I’m kind of nervous, and they didn’t help any with their comments. My hands are kind of clammy and I’m like holy shit, here it comes. Meanwhile, Scott’s phone rings, Brandon is yakking and it sounds like there are 10 people in my car telling me which direction to go. Left means go that way and indicate the other way. What the eff? We made it back in one piece, with only one honk which I didn’t hear. The guys jumped out of the car like it was on fire.
I thought about calling Babu, the driver, to come pick me up. Then I thought well, maybe I could follow him to my hotel. Finally I thought I should just do it myself. I wanted to leave before it got dark, but that didn't happen. Tracy drew me a pretty good map which I thought I had figured out. I went straight and turned left then turned right then right on to the slip road, and that is where I got all confused with the signal lights. I thought I was going the right way but ended back at work. Okay, no problem. I’ll just start again. This time I turn in a different direction at the lights and end up in an alley that reconnects with some road. So I take it. And I drive, randomly going through the roundabouts, sometimes going right, sometimes left, and sometimes straight (weird going around only to go straight). I thought I recognized some things, but it was dark and I couldn’t really see. I didn’t get honked at, so that was good. I didn’t get honked at, so that was good. But there was hardly anyone around.
So I’m driving and then I think, “This doesn’t feel right” and I could see that I was kind of headed towards downtown, or what I would call downtown with the buildings and I think the Corniche. I'm on a road that they're doing construction on and putting up signal lights, and I can't find a roundabout to do a u-turn! And it goes on forever. I finally am able to turn around at the signal light and come back to somewhere and see the Beverly Hills hotel which I know I’ve passed with the driver so I knew I was near. I remember seeing it on my little map book that Brandon was kind enough to get me. I took the roundabout after it, turning right and drove but still had no idea where I was going and nothing looked familiar. At this point I consider calling Babu to ask him to meet me there so I can follow him. In my head I'm thinking, I could just drive around all night until it's morning but the gas tank was close to empty when I got the car, and I had no idea where a gas station was (I've only seen 1 since I got here).
At the thought of driving around aimlessly in a strange city and possibly sleeping in a car with my makeup on and no pajamas, I started to cry. Then I got mad. Of course I'm going to get lost! I've been sitting in the back of a "limo" for the past week. Did anyone sit next to me and guide me? All I heard was "be aggressive", "turn left", "no the other left", "just gun it" and "just go". Did I know that if I'm in a certain lane, I can only go in a certain direction, when other moronic people are not following the rules? The thought of causing an accident or being in one, when it is not my car, doesn't sit well with me. I'm an aggressive driver at home and a bit of a speed demon.
So now I'm pissed off and said to myself "Put on your big girl panties and suck it up, Buttercup!" I end up back at the Beverly Hills place, and you know what? Going in circles is a good thing because I was able to pull up to ask the security guy for directions. He says I needed to go across the street, turn right at the next roundabout and then right at the next roundabout and then there’d be the signal lights with the billboards. Yay! I know the signal lights! They are few and far between. Once I was there I knew where to go!
Anyway, it took me almost two hours, when it should have been only 20, but I made it. Yay me! At the reception desk, cute little Khaled's face smiling and him asking me if I was okay made me feel better.
And this morning, what should have been a 2 minute drive was actually 30. Not bad, hey?
Well Beela i'd suggest the marking technique, to mark your directions with landmarks, like at that billboard turn left, turn right at that house or garbage can, just memorize those things and in no time you will be a human GPS, me as a national i follow this method, i have markings all over Doha :P
They manage the McDonald's I work at?
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Veni, Vedi, Visa! ~ I came, I saw, I shopped!
Yes Beela there are two guys managing the same place and that combo of names is probably unique and makes them very easily indentifiable...
thats why i wrote my post.
so identifiable... that lots of people have been commenting about them being QL front page...
'is that...blah blah?'
thats why i posted early hoping you would ammend...always better to be on the safe side.
Also against QL community guidelines
8. It is never acceptable to reveal a members real name
'discretion is the better part of valour'
Congrats Beela
BTW when will we get the pleasure to read your bogs
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I went somewhere today and didn't get lost, on the way there or back. Granted, I had much better directions.
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Veni, Vedi, Visa! ~ I came, I saw, I shopped!
Um, there is only one "Brandon", "Scott" and "Babu" in the entire state of Qatar?
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Veni, Vedi, Visa! ~ I came, I saw, I shopped!
never be afraid to stop and ask for direction if you are lost. and dont forget to smile and say thank you. yikkeees....
Everybody is right everybody is wrong, it depend where you stand
yes, yes bella. do list all the R/As that give you headache, and we co-QLrs will guess its names:-)..it will be fun, i mean, u will have fun just knowing the names. imagine, there's TV r/a, clock r/a (or vip), oryx, sports,etc....you will really be wondering why the names are queer.
mo lang!
so tell me what would you like to know starting from Which roundabout you want their names.
I think you write better than you drive.
ehhhhhhhh dont you think you should have changed the names of the other people in your car????
or did you check it was ok first before you published them on Qatar's most popular website????
i do not read all what you wrote but i got the idea
driving in doha street like nightmare thanks god to arrive to your home one piece
Happy Trigger Driving Beela.. It is so hideous driving here so just sit back behind the wheel and put on Classic music and relax and enjoy the driving of Doha.. Anyway Welcome to the Barren Penusila..lol
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HE WHO DARES WINS
UK, that's a good one...I will think happy thoughts as I drive.
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Veni, Vedi, Visa! ~ I came, I saw, I shopped!
Why? People often respond with "Welcome to Doha" and leave it at that.
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Veni, Vedi, Visa! ~ I came, I saw, I shopped!
Happy and Safe Driving Beela
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HE WHO DARES WINS
Beela...now that you're here...
You might as well remove the word 'why' from your vocabulary, lol
By the way, why is there not a sign for each roundabout with a name? I have been told they are named after businesses in the vicinity. Well, my eyes are on the road, not looking for something Stinky or whatever!
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Veni, Vedi, Visa! ~ I came, I saw, I shopped!
Vivo, DaRuDe suggested that as well. When I clicked on it and entered the street my office is supposedly on, it says it was non existent.
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Veni, Vedi, Visa! ~ I came, I saw, I shopped!
use google earth for an updated mapping... they're true-to-the-eye real... you can even see diverted routes due to ongoing constructions...
~~Life's Cycle~~~
Qatari, thank you. I've been blogging since I first stepped on the plane. I have yet to post them up, though!
Does anyone want to get me a GPS? PLEASE?
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Veni, Vedi, Visa! ~ I came, I saw, I shopped!
thanks for sharing this!
I got lost on my way home today, too. I was following the Marhaba minimap, and the signal lights/round abouts didn't show up where they were supposed to.
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Veni, Vedi, Visa! ~ I came, I saw, I shopped!
GPS? Where's the fun in that? Takes all the adventure out of it.
And what good is Google earth, when the detours change on a daily basis?
The thing that helps the most with driving here is your sense of humor.
Remember... yesterday's roundabout is tomorrow's detour :-)
better am getting out of fuel too my combustion is getting rusted
Soon soon :P
My car is very slow u know ... but it will reach u in few days !!!
darling when are you heading my way :D
All i can say is for a newbie on the road don't head to city center on the weekend :)
Actually if u do that would make u confident for the other days :)
Just watch out for the occasional Speed demons..
Myself n some other QL'ers included !!! Tk care !!
First up,
Welcome to Qatar girl...all the way from Canada...and you better have brought what you'd said you would for me... :P
And now back to this thread, yikesss...thats like a roadmap direction write up from Qatar to India, it felt like...!!!
Anyways, good you made it through, but hey thats what it is all about, the Feeling of Conquest on the Roads of Doha, which btw, never seem to be going the RIGHT way...LOL! The feeling of "I'm the King of the Worlddddddd" in your case Queen...!
Anyways welcome to Doha, and have a good drive BACK to Home, which according to my estimation should not take you long, just about say 50 mins... HEHEHEHEHEH!
So thats how Qatar is!!!
You are in office right now and the net works there so google earth.
DaRuDe,
Seriously? That would mean the internet would have to be working.
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Veni, Vedi, Visa! ~ I came, I saw, I shopped!
use google earth daily on your pc and figure your ways out.
Smookaaaaaay,
Everyone told me NOT to get a GPS because the roads are constantly changing. Do they come equipped with curse words?
I think the Department of Roundabouts should invest in bright yellow paint and paint lines/lanes!
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Veni, Vedi, Visa! ~ I came, I saw, I shopped!
Would it be a rude sticker?
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Veni, Vedi, Visa! ~ I came, I saw, I shopped!
God, i was lost just reading through your post. perhaps u should invest some money in a gps navigator or something? u know the kind tht talks back to you...its really fun when ur all alone on that lonely road, atleast u have someone to talk to and most importantly someone who says "please take the second right from the round about...please turn left here....I think your going the wrong way you moron" :p
Welcome to Qatar habibi u'll get used to the roads pretty soon and by then u'll most probably want to just lock urself in ur room :D
Good Fortune always comes knocking at your door...when you are sh*tting in the toilet!! :)
_[]~SMoKE~[]_
That was a great read! I as a non-driver here may take a little courage from your post and get a driver's license and try it myself sometime soon. Good Job!!
this was worth reading :) congratulations on a safe journey even if it took you ages to reach your destination.
=Dura Lex Sed Lex=
go go girl get em:-)
katas ng qatar
You can talk to DaRuDe about a sticker! hehehe
Notfromhere, I feel like I should get a big shiny sticker for doing so well! Hah!
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Veni, Vedi, Visa! ~ I came, I saw, I shopped!
Arecel, thanks, I sometimes write a little too much! I think I would have been more distressed had it been a busier time or place.
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Veni, Vedi, Visa! ~ I came, I saw, I shopped!
Thanks Faith,
If only everyone stayed in their own lanes!
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Veni, Vedi, Visa! ~ I came, I saw, I shopped!
Not bad at all :-)
Congrats!
beela, you're a good story teller. i could clearly picture you in my mind distressed and all. glad you found the courage in you and arrived home in one piece. don't worry, it will be less daunting the next time.
mo lang!
Congrats you made it home safe, keep up the good work and dont worry you will be telling ppl directions in no time :D