An interesting story here suggests that the Saudi ban on women driving may come to an end soon. It turns out that King Abdullah, who is considered a reformist, has said the issue is a social one, not religious, opening the door for society to spur change.
This is the only country in the world that still bans women from driving.
vvk says:
06:12 AM, 08/29/08
The way this woman holds the wheel, maybe she should be banned from driving :)
billt9 says:
09:13 AM, 08/29/08
Women drive better than men. They're slow, jittery, and they get into minor accidents.
Woman drivers save lives.
Men just love driving into walls and oncoming traffic. We also like running red lights and T-boning those bastards who don't let us have right of way even when our light is merely red.
Red light only means YOU stop, you gotta watch out for me because God built roads for me and my smoking hot ride.
ateixeira says:
09:16 AM, 08/29/08
I bet the number of accidents per mile driven goes down. Women have fewer wrecks.
billt9 says:
09:31 AM, 08/29/08
That's right.
Because women drive boring cars like the boring Saturn Ion and the boring Lexus GS430, so they don't get too pepped up and eager about driving.
Boring drivers actually watch the boring road. How boring.
Us smart men enthusiasts, we're smarter so we listen to the engine roar and that fine handling tire squeak on a tight turn.
Damn! Stupid pedestrian! Who told you to stand near street corner???
firstwagon says:
10:33 AM, 08/29/08
It always amazes me how everyone was upset about human rights violations in South Africa but no one says a thing about how women are treated in Saudi Arabia.
toyota4life says:
07:09 PM, 08/29/08
Well no wonder they are banned,she looks like a ninja!
karjunkie says:
09:36 AM, 08/31/08
Based on my limited experience with drivers in Kuwait, I would say all middle easterners should hire professional chauffeurs. I have never seen such bad drivers and spectacular accidents in all my life!
desmolicious says:
02:14 PM, 09/ 2/08
I worked in Riyahd for a while. I know everyone claims a place to have the world's worst drivers but this must be it. The arrow straight motorways through the desert are littered with the shells of burnt out wrecks. They are left there in the hope that someone would pay attention.
It is not uncommon to see 13 year old kids drive around in lifted Suburbans. Wonder if they've got a license...
One time I witnessed a simple fender bender in an intersection in broad daylight.The glass headlight shell from one of the cars came skimming my way from about 30 yards out. It's a strange feeling hopping up in the air so you don't get hit by a chunk of car... I walked pass the scene of the accident about half an hour later. By now there were 8 cars involved. Apparently pileups there attract other cars like bees to honey.
Ambulances/fire trucks etc drive around with their emergency lights on all the time. Everyone ignores them anyway unless maybe the use their sirens too.
I think it's a place better not to be driving...
desmolicious says:
02:16 PM, 09/ 2/08
By the way, it really bites that one cannot edit one's comments! All my typos above, sheesh...