Everybody Is Doing It....

As the old saying goes, "if everybody jumps off a bridge, are you going to jump too?" Well, no, I wouldn't jump off a bridge....that is a bit extreme (and scary). But, as for daily acts in life, if everyone else is doing it, can't I??

I should have known, or at least learned, since this is a childhood lesson that we are all brought up on...it isn't okay to do what everyone else is....someone is going to get caught eventually. And, knowing my luck, I should have known, it would be me.

Parking in the great place of Abu Dhabi is a struggle...anywhere you go, anytime of the day, and any car that you drive; The architects forgot to create parking when they created these extraordinary buildings. So, off to the store we go....

My friends, Michelle and Sev, and I decided to do a little bit of shopping at Marks and Spencers one day. Pulling into the parking lot, and circling a couple of times, we were coming up empty handed on the parking spaces.

*NOTE: Parking in Abu Dhabi is random. Since parking is such a hardship, you find that people park in the most random places. You park in normal parking places, on curbs, down the middle of streets (where the yellow or white stripe would be), etc. Parking down the center stripe is a normalcy here...you would think. (END NOTE)*

Well, low and behold, we come around a corner to see ONE spot....parallel parking, down the center strip, just like everyone else....about 70 other cars parked this way. Parked and ready to go....shopping here we come!

It was a short shopping trip, we were done and out of there within a 2 hour time period. Dinner was awaiting, along with the wallets becoming empty, so to the car we stroll....

Plastered nicely to the windshield was a nice little ticket....along with the other 70 cars that were parked like me. The little guy, wearing the little blue vest, that I now want to run over with my car, had ticketed ALL of us for illegal parking!! Everyone does it, EVERYWHERE in Abu Dhabi (because of the lack in parking), and TODAY it is illegal?? And TODAY, I get a FIVE HUNDRED DIRHAM (about $150 American dollars) ticket?? REALLY, are you serious?? Tis the season!

Well, remembering where I am, the full American doesn't come out...where as I would have come unglued and probably ripped someone a new one, I kindly tried to speak to a police officer about the ticket. But, of course, the one I find doesn't speak English! URGHHH!

So, again, remembering where I am....I "kindly" paid my UNFAIR ticket on Wednesday of last week....500 Dirhams, down the toilet. May that be the last of the tickets, INSHALLAH, and may I NEVER find myself in the Abu Dhabi Department of Transportation again! :(

The End!