Here There and Everywhere

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1. This is strcitly based on rumor – don’t take what I am about to say seriously, but I heard that certain phone companies had lost revenue due to the ban and pressured MOI to lax its regulations.

   I certainly see more people using phones while driving, it seems like it is really back to the pre-ban days.

   Comment by hilaliya | November 7, 2008 | Reply

2. noticed the same thing. I can’t give up eating and drinking either

   Comment by pearls | November 7, 2008 | Reply

3. Oh Amer, I hope that isn’t so. That would just be so heartbreaking, to choose revenue over lives. It sounds like the kind of conspiracy thing that can so easily get started here . . . consciencious laxity . . . it’s too horrible.

   Pearls . . . oops. I forgot about the eating and drinking. And I take calls at stoplights . . . but I really thought there was a drop in usage for a while. Not any longer.

   Comment by intlxpatr | November 7, 2008 | Reply

4. hahahaf i knew that wouldnt last!

   Comment by Mrm | November 7, 2008 | Reply

5. This law was still born , If i am not mistaken Kuwait was the first country in the middle east that introduced the mobile phone services actually it was called car phone and that was in the mid seventies , some of those telephone systems were assembled by bolting the components on a blank piece of wood so it can be removed from the car when it is not needed to avoid being stolen .
   That services continued until the introduction of the modern telephone system in the late 80’s by MTC (Zain ),maybe in 1988 or 1998 and it was intended for usage in the cars while driving , The price of having a set was about KD 2000 (about $ 6500) but many people started to use it as a status symbol .

   IN fact when the iraqis invaded kuwait in August 1990 , one of the first things they did after few days is collecting the mobile phones from the cars at check points when they realized what it was ,and that the kuwaiti were using it to communicate with the outside world .

   The iraqis even sent jets to bomb and destroy the telecommunication center in South kuwait near Ahmedi area( the massive tall grey building u can still see their look alike in shuwaikh or Hawalli Jahra or Salemya) because it was close to the suadia border where people who left kuwait with their sets were taking calls or making them to people who were inside kuwait .

   Later on with the vicious iraqi invasion taking hold ,the death penalty was the punishment for anyone caught with a mobile phone .

   One of the ironies of operation Iraqi freedom 2003 was for Zain (ex MTC ) to provide Iraqis with mobile telephone service which they took up in earnest as their land line phone services was almost non existent before this operation and it was put to rest with the start of the shock and Awe campaign at the beginning of the war .
   I guess that one sweet way to take revenge on your enemy is to provide them with an addictive service like mobile phones and charge the heck out them 🙂

   The point i am trying to make with this bit of mobile phone trivia is kuwait has a long history with Mobile phones that extend to the mid seventies and the intention all along was to use this service in your car while you are driving to get your business done , Now all of a sudden the traffic department wakes up after a generation (33 years ) and tell the people not to use it and complicates matter even more by demanding the use of the blue tooth connection which is really cumbersome and makes driving even more dangerous is definitely not going to work .
   We know the pattern of such moronic laws , the traffic department will enforce it for a while , some unlucky people will get fined , then the patrol cars will lose interest in applying the law so people will go back to their old habits , Why was all the fuss to begin with .

   The only unfortunate fact that this law will remain on the books and it will be applied as per the whims and fancies of the Bolice

   Comment by daggero | November 7, 2008 | Reply

6. Mobile phones, brainless drivers, overcrowded cars, badly loaded trucks, speeding, no seat belts, taxi drivers, no seat belts, buses, not keeping in lane, no seat belts, racing, no seat belts, tailgating, no seat belts, driving faster on wet roads…. I’m bored writing about it. Can you imagine trying to fix it?

   Don’t use your mobil…. and WEAR A SEATBELT. It wasn’t made for the back of the seat:)

   Comment by Bu Yousef | November 7, 2008 | Reply

7. That’s too bad!!
   The same thing generally happened in Syria. You have no idea how good it is to say that… happenED
   that’s right….past tense 🙂
   For the first time in history (well at least the period I’ve had the privilege of witnessing) they’ve implemented a cell phone ban and *shock* a seat belt law (i know, who woulda thunk it?) on the drivers and passengers seat. AND ARE ENFORCING IT!
   Well in Damascus at least.. and only on the two front seats (who cares about the back-seaters). It’s gotten to the extent were a taxi driver’ll refuse to take you anywhere unless you put your seat belt on. I count the cars with and without seatbelts, and within Damascus, that’s a ratio of 9:1
   It’s a start, albeit a late one. But a start nonetheless.

   singing Oh happy day!!

   btw. To avoid the cell phone ban, I’ve seen many people lean their elbow oh, so causally against the door and cup their cellphones in their hands so they don’t show. LOOL.
   Or when they cross into these ‘no police areas’ take off their seatbelts for a little breather. Guess they’re not used to wearing them yet!!

   ps. sorry of the extremely long and ramble-y post! =D

   Comment by souvenirsandscars | November 8, 2008 | Reply

8. Mrm – Missing you! You are SUCH a cynic!

   Oh Daggero, we always learn so much from your comments. I’m not sure that I agree that bluetooth is less safe, but probably you are right. I know when I am driving in Kuwait, I need all my wits about me! Have you noticed all the sets of three new communications towers? Are those all Viva? Pretty comprehensive grid, covering Kuwait.

   BuYousef – I won’t even drive if even one person isn’t buckled in. You are right. Seatbelts save lives, hands down.

   LOL, S&S, here in Kuwait, the back seat seatbelts sometimes aren’t even operational, I have found to my chagrin, when I take a taxi. I once said – “No, wait, I am going to take another taxi, the seatbelt isn’t working,: and the guy looked at me as if I were a lunatic. It takes a while to form the new habit, but we will all be safer for it.

   Comment by intlxpatr | November 8, 2008 | Reply

9. it is still on
   I know some people who got fined recently.. some for the usage of iPod while driving! So its still on 🙂

   Comment by Ansam | November 9, 2008 | Reply

10. The ban is in effect just the disregard of it has increased…

    Comment by Kevin Banks | November 9, 2008 | Reply

11. No kidding, Ansam???

    LLLOOOLLLL @ Kevin, I don’t usually allow people to comment for commercial purposes, but since your website hit a weak point, I will allow it. (hungering for Zambia . . . )

    Comment by intlxpatr | November 9, 2008 | Reply

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