road rage

Mercia
By Mercia

Does anyone actually know what the penalty is for "giving someone the finger"  or flipping the bird as its also known, in traffic  The road rage here is awful and I need to know what the police will do if someone reports that you gave them an abusive gesture?

By Mercia• 23 Apr 2008 15:43
Mercia

I will let you know the outcome tomorrow!

By whoami• 23 Apr 2008 14:23
Rating: 2/5
whoami

@canary, smile at me and I guarantee I'll smile back.

Then again, seems that myself, friends and relatives are all exceptions :P

 

@dohasteve, yep flipping the bird isn't a smart thing to do for sure.

A friend of my father signalled an expat women (he's Qatari) as if to say "What are you doing?" after she almost smacked into him.

 

She told the police he stuck his middle finger at her, (although he didn't), and almost had to spend 3 days in jail.

___________________________

Click here for LOADS of Qatar info I♥Q  <-- (Expat and Local Info)

By DohaSteve• 23 Apr 2008 14:03
DohaSteve

I'll pass this on to her, and to all of our friends

By novita77• 23 Apr 2008 14:00
novita77

Doha Steve ... a danish friend of us ... his wife being deported for giving a finger sign to the local. Best you ask your wife to stop ...

By DohaSteve• 23 Apr 2008 13:59
Rating: 3/5
DohaSteve

Flipping the bird, giving the finger, shouting insults, retaliating, ........ if I have to stop all of that, then driving will just be terrifying again ..... I've never heard of anyone beng reported for it though. I better tell my wife about this - she's worse than I am. Damn frustrating.

By thexonic• 23 Apr 2008 13:38
Rating: 4/5
thexonic

in any scenerio, read my story lol... u will know exactly what will happen.

 

--------------------

No human can stop racism and its easier to make a deaf hear u than an ignorant.

By byberg• 23 Apr 2008 13:19
byberg

I come back when somebody has been so terrible to us/me.....has never happen yet but we have only 5 years in Doha experiance...never seen more then craziness (not very scary) on the roads and I´m in the car very often......we have a landcruiser....could that be the reason???

 

I have no idee why these terrible situations like you all describe never happens to us....

 

I´m very sorry if I have offended you all....you must of course defend yourself if you are relly threattened which you are.......

 

Under the mean time I will, for my own personal safety, still try to keep a low profile....and hope it will never happen to me.

 

 

By anonymous• 23 Apr 2008 13:16
anonymous

 

 

I had a big hassel with the police as they wanted to place me under arrest - because I refuced t go to the PP without a and English speaking lawyer - In the end if they had placed me under arrest I would have lost my job.

By anonymous• 23 Apr 2008 13:10
anonymous

CB - Yes it is true. I did the magic once during the Asian Games :)

By TweetyBird• 23 Apr 2008 13:09
TweetyBird

That is great to hear. Hopefully all of the public prosecutors here are that rational!

By anonymous• 23 Apr 2008 13:08
anonymous

 

That is what my friend the Sheikh told me beter to get your foot in the door first.

By anonymous• 23 Apr 2008 13:07
anonymous

 

No I was not, because I did not do anything and the Public Prosecutor also agreed with me that the case was not worth the courts time nor the work involved as he also expalined that normally they don't have any driving conflicts with Europeans as on a whole the ydrive carefully.

By anonymous• 23 Apr 2008 13:06
anonymous

Rule No. 1 - Be first to Complain. The other party is Guilty until proven Innocence :(

By chunk03• 23 Apr 2008 13:01
chunk03

Just smile back at them, wish them a nice day and drive on by...........if they want to kill or injure themselves let them be, as long as you are not involved its ok, i always expect the unexpected, and up till now, not had a problem.........becareful every 1........................

By TweetyBird• 23 Apr 2008 13:00
TweetyBird

That is my worst nightmare!!  How did it turn out?  Were you found at fault?

By anonymous• 23 Apr 2008 12:58
anonymous

 

I know the feeling as I went through this myself and although I didn't show a finger the Qatari did try ro force me off the road and he was the one wh got abusive after he pulled in front of me and came to a direct halt, had I not had my seat beld on I would have gon flying through the windscreen.

No matter he brought his complaint to the police and I was charged and had to go to the Public Prosecutor who was actually quite reasonable, but it was all the terror with the police and the injustice doneto me I complain about.

 

Victoria Byberg

As you have obviously not gone through anything like this you are talking from a different point of view. If you are ever involved in such a conflict I just hope you mange to keep smiling all the way to jail.

By TweetyBird• 23 Apr 2008 12:55
Rating: 4/5
TweetyBird

Mercia ..

 

I always tell the people I work with to be careful.  The penalty here in Qatar does not always fit the crime - especially in the eyes of Westerners.  I'm not going to say any of the platitudes that go around about this topic (like its their country - oops I said it) because I know you have heard it.

The bottom line is this.  You can't change it.  It won't happen so you have to weigh the risks. Is the 5 seconds of satisfaction for flipping someone off worth the penalty.  My answer is no although I have seriously reconsidered it on occasion.

By byberg• 23 Apr 2008 12:51
byberg

 

.....I wouldn´t take the risk...

By ksarat16• 23 Apr 2008 12:46
ksarat16

Another planet...hmmmm...sounds too fascinating...lol...hey you dont turn up at the QL Gatherings right...we arent all that violent you see...me and smoke love PEACEEEEEEE...LOL...

By TweetyBird• 23 Apr 2008 12:45
TweetyBird

I know someone who was detained at the immigration desk at the airport because someone reported the plate number on their car and said the driver gave them the finger.

By byberg• 23 Apr 2008 12:44
byberg

obviously not....:(....I come from another planet....

 

keep up the war and do your thing....hope you will not end up with trouble...:)

 

 

By ksarat16• 23 Apr 2008 12:38
ksarat16

For being all that peace loving and peace inspiring, I really hope you dont get into any sorts of trouble here...LOL...

 

And now, with all that peace talk, you sure are getting me interested for a few moments there Vici...whats with all the peace talk...this world isnt built for that, didnt you know...lol

By Mercia• 23 Apr 2008 12:32
Mercia

Victoria, the reason he did that was because an ignorant qatari nearly forced him off the road trying to get in front of him... as they usually do.  His biggest mistake wasnt giving him the finger it was admitting he did. I would love to get a contingent of trafic cops in from another country to clean up the idiotic local driver who have zero respect for anyone or anything. so dont get all huggy touchy and sweet sentimental.

By anonymous• 23 Apr 2008 12:31
Rating: 4/5
anonymous

 

If the court case is today then it will be over and he will know what the penalty is.

Victoria Byberg

yes you may be right but here the driver behind his wheel is like an animal no pardon and no politness, they even get upset if you overtake them and take it personally.

By anonymous• 23 Apr 2008 12:24
anonymous

He can engauge the service of a good lawyer and apeal against the sentence :(

By byberg• 23 Apr 2008 12:21
byberg

.he also speak about the road range here!!!!

......but if you stop doing agressive things and treat the other people with more kindness .....you will probably not end up in so many messy situations....and then you probably will not end up with the police.....

 

...........I mean still...if you treat other persons with respect even if they sometimes doesn´t deserv it, life will be easier...

 

I have said it before...I say it again....if you met war with war you most definitely will have a war......

By Mercia• 23 Apr 2008 12:20
Mercia

he is in court later today.  I am hoping its just going to be a fine.  Why can a case like this go on for years?

By anonymous• 23 Apr 2008 12:13
Rating: 5/5
anonymous

 

This is not a country where you can smile andthey will smile back.

If a complaint has been made against him he will be summoned to the Public Prosecutor and no he will not be deported Mila, there will be a hearing and if the Public Prosecutor thinks there is a case he will take it to the court.

 

The court will make a decision on how to proceed or if he has to pay a fine/whatever. In any case he/she will not be allowed to leace the country until the case hase been solved and this can go on for years.

By smoke• 23 Apr 2008 12:11
smoke

well u could always substitute the nose with the ear whatever suits u best my amigo 

 

_[]~SMoKE~[]_

 

By ksarat16• 23 Apr 2008 12:09
ksarat16

LOL, Grosse, bugger that middle finger nose picking...o yuckkkk...lol....

By smoke• 23 Apr 2008 12:06
smoke

tsk tsk people havent u ever learnt the art of giving the finger without the other person knowing but u know u've given them the finger to ur hearts content?

Well to those who wear eye glasses u can always flip them the bird while adjusting ur glasses..very simple and un noticeable. to those that dont wear eye glasses just pick ur nose with ur middle finger.

 

simple things like this give great pleasure and makes moving about in traffic more fun :) 

 

_[]~SMoKE~[]_

 

By Mercia• 23 Apr 2008 12:04
Mercia

I dont know, general abusive gestures I suppose.

By Snowstorm• 23 Apr 2008 12:00
Rating: 4/5
Snowstorm

 

YOU DONT KNOW ME, DONT EVEN TRY !!!

[img_assist|nid=98090|title=New|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=|height=0]

By Mercia• 23 Apr 2008 11:55
Mercia

unfortunatley this guy actually admitted doing it to the police instead of denying it so he will be in the pooh!

By byberg• 23 Apr 2008 11:53
byberg

and the wold will be smiling back to you........

 

easy!!

By anonymous• 23 Apr 2008 11:45
anonymous

Somebody known to me got a severe warning and a fine of QR 3500 :(

By Mercia• 23 Apr 2008 11:45
Mercia

and the best senario?

 

By dragonfly212• 23 Apr 2008 11:43
Rating: 5/5
dragonfly212

the worst case scenerio you will trown in jail and deported without time to say goodbye and collect all your stuffs. so dont use ur finger.

Everybody is right Everybody is wrong, it depend where we stand.

Log in or register to post comments

More from Qatar Living

Qatar’s top beaches for water sports thrills

Qatar’s top beaches for water sports thrills

Let's dive into the best beaches in Qatar, where you can have a blast with water activities, sports and all around fun times.
Most Useful Apps In Qatar - Part Two

Most Useful Apps In Qatar - Part Two

This guide brings you the top apps that will simplify the use of government services in Qatar.
Most Useful Apps In Qatar - Part One

Most Useful Apps In Qatar - Part One

this guide presents the top must-have Qatar-based apps to help you navigate, dine, explore, access government services, and more in the country.
Winter is coming – Qatar’s seasonal adventures await!

Winter is coming – Qatar’s seasonal adventures await!

Qatar's winter months are brimming with unmissable experiences, from the AFC Asian Cup 2023 to the World Aquatics Championships Doha 2024 and a variety of outdoor adventures and cultural delights.
7 Days of Fun: One-Week Activity Plan for Kids

7 Days of Fun: One-Week Activity Plan for Kids

Stuck with a week-long holiday and bored kids? We've got a one week activity plan for fun, learning, and lasting memories.
Wallet-friendly Mango Sticky Rice restaurants that are delightful on a budget

Wallet-friendly Mango Sticky Rice restaurants that are delightful on a budget

Fasten your seatbelts and get ready for a sweet escape into the world of budget-friendly Mango Sticky Rice that's sure to satisfy both your cravings and your budget!
Places to enjoy Mango Sticky Rice in  high-end elegance

Places to enjoy Mango Sticky Rice in high-end elegance

Delve into a world of culinary luxury as we explore the upmarket hotels and fine dining restaurants serving exquisite Mango Sticky Rice.
Where to celebrate World Vegan Day in Qatar

Where to celebrate World Vegan Day in Qatar

Celebrate World Vegan Day with our list of vegan food outlets offering an array of delectable options, spanning from colorful salads to savory shawarma and indulgent desserts.