Driving in Qatar is like no where else. I thought the drivers in Hawaii were bad, I didn't even know! Here you have this amazing mix of Europeans used to relying on public transportation, North Americans with tons of driving experience, rural third-world trained taxi drivers and rich, spoiled and impatient locals (not all, just some)! They are all driving on this mix of ultra-modern 4-lane highways, roundabouts and poorly maintained narrow streets and construction everywhere, laid out with no apparent master plan. Amusing at times, frequently frustrating and occasionally terrifying. Driving, walking or cycling, you must be on your guard and constantly expecting the unexpected. Literally every trip you will have a story to tell; taxis doing a U-turn across four lanes of traffic in front of a speeding bus, SUVs going at high speeds, in the wrong direction on a one-way street, motorcycles doing wheelies in a rush-hour roundabout, and stunt driving on public streets. And Believe me, you haven't lived until you are driving 120 kph (the speed limit), boxed in by traffic merging for construction, with a 6000 pound Land Cruiser that is 6 inches off your rear bumper and flashing his lights and honking his horn for you to get out of his way. Ultimately, these guys just scream past you on the medium. One went up on the sidewalk!
Throw in to the surreal mix, exotic cars (and pets), you never thought you would see in person.
Below is a gallery of things you see out there on the streets. Some pictures I took, some come from news sources (you can't be everywhere). I decided to leave out the gnarly crashes.
Throw in to the surreal mix, exotic cars (and pets), you never thought you would see in person.
Below is a gallery of things you see out there on the streets. Some pictures I took, some come from news sources (you can't be everywhere). I decided to leave out the gnarly crashes.
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