Fa3el Khair
As I am going to the dead sea today to attend the WCF, a car from the opposite direction gave me a headlight flash, right at the middle of noon.. so it was a signal of some kind. I thought maybe he’s warning me of something, but I didn’t realise directly what it is. Then another car gave me the same warning, so I was sure that it is something, it was a speed control patrol. I dropped my speed from 110km/h, to 90km/h which is allowed in this road. Few hundred meters ahead, and in the most sneaky hidden place, there was it. Trying to catch the speedy unaware drivers (I was aware, so they didn’t catch me).
Now it got me thinking a little, why did the stranger warn me. Is it because they want good the the fellow driver? spreading love and peace in a drivers’ way ? Or is it some ill feelings and hate toward the money collecting speed control patrols and officers. I am sure that the reason is mostly a mix of the two. And You could find people volunteer help in the most outstanding ways.
Back 7 or 8 years ago, when I first got my driving license, I had an exciting car accident. I was a little speeding, in a small car, at a curve, lost control, the car swinged on the street, hit a sign, and flipped over it, landing the car on its top. Now all that happened in few seconds, I was out of the car without a scratch. But what is exiting is the people. The accident was in the middle of no where (at airport road), but as soon as the car flipped and landed, people started to rush in 10s. I was out of the car, surprised at the whole thing and there was people coming and offering different kind of unasked help:
- “spread sand on the street, and you can blame Amman Municipality (2amanet 3amman)”
- A group of 3 guys lifted up the sign that I hit, and fixed it so that I won’t pay any fines for damaging it.
- When the policeman came, someone that I do not know turned out to be his relative, and told the policeman that I am his cousin, and the policeman didn’t issue any ticket for the accident
- A guy came and offered buying the car while it is on it’s back (Now that is not really help, but someone seeing an opportunity and taking it)
and so on… (PS. after that accident I started to hear some new proverbs that was told to my father : بالمال ولا بالعيال (Let it be money not kids), and بالحديد ولا بالعبيد (hitting iron better than hitting people, or something).
Now, I really would like to understand the actual reasons for this very helpful attitude, is it the nature of our people ? is it being nosy ? is it that we are in the same team against traffic control police ? I’m not really sure, but all I know that I didn’t really need or ask for all that help (I wouldn’t mind any speed control warning in the future, and I may assist my fellow drivers with warning them as well, unite we stand)
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December 6th, 2005 at 4:27 am
You have no idea how much I miss these things. People here don’t understand the subtle messages fellows drivers send to each other; “damdameh” being one of them. I still remember when I first came to the US, a driver was tailgating me so closely it was making me feel uncomfortable. I tried to give him all kinds of hand signals that mean “slow down”; I thought one of them must be used by drivers in the US. Unfortunately none was. The driver seemed to think that I was not only deaf-mute, but retarded. I later came to realize that the only hand gesture drivers in the US know is “the finger”.
I rememebr a cartoon by Hajjaj about the differences in hand gesture between Arabs and Americans…I still laugh at this one every time I see it.
Drive safely..mosh kol marra btislam il jarra
December 6th, 2005 at 5:50 am
hahahaha, while reading this i was going to say the same thing about the only signal us americans only now. but iyas beat me to it.
December 6th, 2005 at 8:08 am
laish adaish konet mashi??
December 6th, 2005 at 9:23 am
lol lemme tell you a story :-D
my friends and i went on a car trip with 3 friends to Dana last summer. the car broke down at least 15 times if not more. everytime we stopped in Kerak people went out of their way to help us. At one point it was 12:30am, pitch black dark on a cliff between tafila and kerak. two guys stopped and woke up a tafili electrician who came out in his payjamas. another guy who had helped us at our last point of breaking down about 30 minutes ago and 10 km away caught up to us to check if we were ok. and while the electrician fixed the car he recited improv keraki poetry which was hella funny. everyone gave us their cell numbers and called us through out the night to see if we made it, and this is after they swore we shud come to their homes and have dinner and get some rest.
there has been no moment in time in which i felt prouder to be a keraki!
amman is not like this but you do get helpful people. amman is more about breaking the law then it is about helping people. in kerak its the whole “we are all brothers” attitude and in amman its “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”
December 6th, 2005 at 11:28 am
Well … It seems that these signals are more of a regional thing
I remember when I first went to Dubai; I had to work in Abu Dhabi for a while, hence was commuting the distance between the two cities every day, back and forth ..
The radars there are electronic and for a new comer .. they are harder to see especially that they use the portable kind in Abu Dhabi .. they keep changing their locations .. so one cannot be too careful and the fine is 200 AED ..
So I noticed some drivers around me signaling to me to slow down and there was a way they moved their hands that would tell you there was a radar ahead … I really appreciated those signals because AED 200 was a hell of a lot for a speeding ticket especially that inside Abu Dhabi the speeding limit was 60 km/hr
As for the accidents here in Amman … I think people gather out of curiousity .. they like to be the first on the location … and boy they can give advice and pass judgments … then it becomes a contest among them .. who is the most generous and who has the most influence .. it is like a hidden protocol that is understood by them only … If you ask me .. I would rather that they did not gather around the accident so that the patrol car can arrive a little faster and the ambulance can pass without causing another accident in the process … because the one in the accident feels so frustrated and just wants the whole episode to be over with …
Safe driving to all :)
December 6th, 2005 at 11:51 am
I think it backs to the time when the British colonized us… ok maybe I am wrong, since there weren’t that many cars then or more precisely the “critical mass” to kick off the phenomenon. Maybe, it backs to the times when people were in disagreement with the authority, but rather than participating politically in changing the situation, which is perceived by the society as a “وجع راس”, people found other ways to express their opposition. They didn’t like the way government “was” corrupt, so they participated in the “damdameh” movement, to reduce the cash in hand for those corrupt officials! It was and is simply much easier to do, and probably more effective on the short time! This renders the “damdameh” movement as a hidden political opposition party.
Problem is that it is also perceived as socially correct. Consider the excitement that runs in your veins when you speed at 130km/hour and manage not to get fined. The mind mysteriously tells you that you are one fine smart guy who is fully plugged; you understand how the system operates and man you are a superior Jordanian citizen. If you get caught, well hard luck, you are not smart enough and you have long way to go before you are fully plugged. Basically at this point, the policeman would take the driving license and silently walk back to the police car, without uttering a word on what’s happening, he then comes back with a surprise for you, a fine written on this red-colored paper with a handwriting that is unreadable, it is so badly written that you think the society is conspiring on you; you start hearing noises: “see, you are neither smart nor plugged”. You do not deserve to be told even what your mistake was in the first place!
Consider the group of 3 guys who lifted up the sign, they are basically the most opposing to the government! (at least in my stupid rational) These people are amazing, they take the extra mile to put back that sign in an improper way, and forget that it might become dangerous to others; maybe it falls on the head of someone, or even falls, and no more sign to alert people whatever is written on it. Consider the guy who offered to buy the car; this guy is like bloody smart, (مقلع)… Have you thought how many times he asked people this question whenever he saw an accident?… Many times probably, he is hilarious. I am imagining him walking to you slowly with his hands in his pocket asking the question.
Historically I think that truck drivers led the damdameh movement in its early stages, and soon was adopted by other classes of drivers…. Ok enough of my bullshit… need to go back to work.
December 16th, 2005 at 4:33 pm
ahhh the nostalgia…i miss those Jordanian jestures. I do also reside in the UAE and have experienced similar radar warning signals…..but it’s kind of confusing because the same people are willing to slam the brakes at speeds in excess of 140 km/h, and endanger the people in the cars behind them, just to avoid the traffic fines…..
anyways here is my spammeeee….sorry
Submit your blog to http://www.iopblogs.com its a geographic aggregator, its in beta stage for now, but we already have some countries up…i would love it if Jordan was next (my home country)