The Government SUV Problem
It’s annoying when a large, nondescript, black SUV pulls up behind you at a traffic intersection and begins to flash its blue and red “official” lights and honk its deep-throated horn as it impatiently orders you out of its way.
To this, I have one thing to say: get bent! I don’t care who you think you are, I’m not risking my life by pulling out into oncoming, barreling traffic just so you can move ahead to the front of the intersection, you pompous jerk. Go talk on the phone to the king or something and grow some patience. And if you don’t like the traffic situation in Amman because of all of the peons in your way, why don’t you take the suggestions of hundreds of thousands of citizens and actually create infrastructure and traffic solutions instead of spending all of our hard earned tax dollars on your wife’s spa treatments?
publicfacing February 18th, 2008 6:36 pm
Here here!
Qwaider قويدر February 18th, 2008 6:41 pm
YES… YES .. YES…
And Police cars man NOT use their sirens for anything other than official business and emergencies!
I have seen these crappy behaviors and have talked about them several times.
They need to stop!
hatem abunimeh February 18th, 2008 6:45 pm
Dave,
This could have been one of the zealous ministers heeding the call by the King to get out of the office and meet with the people out on the streets. Perhaps he wanted to manifest that he was the first one to comply with the directive.Okay, I’m being extra ordinarily cynical, but hey what does the peon got to do when faced with the blasé.
Mohanned February 18th, 2008 7:12 pm
Hatem,
Ministers don’t have entourage..The number of people who have access to such “services” is limited..
Army chief, GID director, Police chief, primeminister and members of the royal family..
TAAAAT TAAAAAT!
Onzlo February 18th, 2008 7:40 pm
I’m with you on this, and I try to take as much time as possible before moving out of their way. How will they ever appreciate the quickly deteriorating traffic situation otherwise?
Batoul February 18th, 2008 7:49 pm
so well written, I like when you’re mad lol you say it clearly.. Couldn’t agree more.
Luai February 18th, 2008 8:11 pm
Maybe he was late to a meeting…or wanted to get some lunch. If it was me driving that SUV, I would have just pushed your car out of the way! I was taught to yield to vehicles with red and blue flashing lights with siren blasting.
kinzi February 18th, 2008 8:27 pm
You tell ‘em, Dave. One of my boys wants to have that job, so he can legally drive like a Need For Speed Carbon kinda guy.
Dave February 18th, 2008 9:24 pm
Kinzi, I love Need for Speed Carbon.
Roba February 18th, 2008 9:54 pm
Great point!
Moey February 18th, 2008 10:42 pm
WOW that is good.
Qwaider قويدر February 19th, 2008 1:16 am
Oh and you gotta remember this
nasimjo February 19th, 2008 8:46 am
aham aham …
Black Big SUV … where they 3 similar of those ..
well, the prime minister his self has only 1 police car going in front of his mercedes, and the army and police chief drive in patrols..
So … the person inside one of those SUV’s is not really talking to his majesty on the phone … simply cause … it is his majesty
FYI!
Rami February 19th, 2008 12:44 pm
Why don’t you move your car or you find it so much becuase you are an american? read your driver license in the back, give priority to Royal convoys and police cars, no need to make a big deal about it, the US ambassador move with SUV behind him and a security with a stop sign out from the window if a car get near him, why don’t you blog about that?
Imad February 19th, 2008 7:56 pm
Dave, I live in Chicago and everytime Bush, the vise Prez or their wives come to the city they shut down the Kennedy expressway from O’hare to downtown. Now that’s a hassel
momx2 February 20th, 2008 11:34 am
Hm.. Rami, I am trying to take your reply with a grain of salt, but it’s rubbing me the wrong way.
What’s your problem? He wasn’t trying to come off as a big shot because he is American. He’s only stating that it’s a pain to be FORCED to put yourself in a situation that isn’t NECESSARY. Maybe if you’d get the chip off your shoulder…
Tell me, regardless of what the back of the driver’s license says, How should a person move out of the way? When the road is only wide enough for 3 lanes, yet magically has 4 - 5 lanes of cars, and the cars are so close to you, and NO ONE is letting you get over the slightest INCH. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? Honestly, I’d like to know. For real..
And… if the occupants of the car are that important, and are in that much of a hurry, etc.. Why NOT take a GD helicopter! That would solve everything. No waiting in traffic, get there faster, etc.. Problem solved.
Rami February 20th, 2008 12:39 pm
momx2, i agree with you, it is hard to move considering the streets we have, my point is why Dave found it hard or annoying and made a big deal about it, the worst part is Jordanian people living in Jordan starts to nag and agree to say it is wrong behavior!!!!! I wonder why no one was strong enough to blog about it by himself but when Dave did they all agreed and showed they don’t like or it happened with them before
Just for the records, the Royal convoy cars have the right and power to drag or hit your car so you move from its way. Now who find this law wrong and want to complain about it
MommaBean February 20th, 2008 3:20 pm
Indeed Dave! I’ve encountered both situations, the royal entourage at the circle that tells me to stop AFTER they’re about to hit me (nice to let me know you’re there before I make my way into the intersection…) and the police officers that seem perhaps to be on their way to lunch (given that they are driving like a snail, but pushing everyone out of their way). I have to admit, I just laugh it off these days…
Mohanned February 20th, 2008 4:36 pm
Rami:
“Now who find this law wrong and want to complain about it”
Are you serious? Do you hear yourself talking?
But I don’t blame you, I blame the enviroment that created such personalities..
Flash news: Critisizing your country doesn’t mean you hate it, being stupid and dumb is what hurts our country.. And no, royal convoys are not God!
Furthermore, if you browse the archives of all the bloggers I am sure you will find at least one post complainig about traffic…So stop your “patriotic” charade, and do something useful to your country..
hatem abunimeh February 20th, 2008 6:41 pm
Imad,
I don’t know why would you make up stories like that?! When was it that they closed the Kennedy expressway because the president or the vice president were coming to town?. This is the biggest lie that I have heard in a very long time, I have been living in chicago for 33 years, during this period presidents Ford, Carter, Regan, Bush the father, Clinton, Bush the son have all come to town at some point in their presidency and not once did I notice the Kennedy expressway closed down because the president is coming. Nice try man.
Imad February 21st, 2008 9:10 pm
Abunimeh…where the f*@K do you get off calling people liers? you may have lived in Chicago for 30 years but you were propably stuck in you little southside grocery store. I have seen it with my own eyes when I worked in the city where the police blocks all ramps to the expressway specailly when Clinton and Cheney are in town with their 30-40 cars motorcades. Here is a picture to a simailar situation (on Lakeshore dr) from last month Bush’s visit where Police cars block all lanes and nobody can gets thru and if I have more time I would dig out more…so f*ck off….
http://bp1.blogger.com/_87NnYBM8OQQ/R4O_fndCTbI/AAAAAAAABXE/Y4BKngNMBdk/s1600-h/BushLSD.jpg
hatem abunimeh February 21st, 2008 10:47 pm
One time you say the Kennedy expressway then you come back and say Lakeshore drive, which lie do you want us to believe, the first or the second?!. Hosanna, Hosanna with your unsubstantiated, uncorroborated apocryphal mendacity.
Hani Obaid February 23rd, 2008 3:26 pm
i appreciate what Rami and Imad are saying, but the problem is that the guy driving the SUV is uauly very rude about it too.
I encountered them the other day, and the megaphone said:
You over there, don’t move, stay right where you are.
Would even an attempt at superficial politeness be too much to ask ?