An Image

Tuesday 4 May 2010
Hi All,
I haven't blogged for quite a while as my life is usually boring and I try not to go out as that involves spending money which doesn't fit into the 5 Year Plan objectives.
But I do have a new experience to relate.

First some background info.
As many of you know, I'm coming home 16 days from now. In 25 days, I will have had my car for 1 year - therefore it needs to be re-registered. Normally this is a semi-painful process - but with me living here for almost 14 months, I've become accustomed to the daily trials and tribulations we face when dealing with any government enity.

However the pain just got ratcheted up a few notches.

I was going to re-register my car on April 29th - but since we were in the final hours of preparing for a go-live on our new computer system on 3 May, I couldn't get away to do so. I figured - do it early Sunday morning (remember work week is Sun- Thur) as there wasn't much that could be done on that day.
On Saturday, I'm reading the paper and in there is an article about car registration - which naturally caught my eye. The article goes on to state that any interaction with a government enity will require the use of your Identity Card. - the one I don't have.
Effective the very next day - 2 May.
BUT the article goes on to say that since the Vehicle Registration people have not gotten official notification, they were going to proceed without the need for the card.
I'm thinking - ok make hay while the opportunity exists and get down there tomorrow before they get the official notification (you can see where I'm going with this can't you)

To register your car , you must first show proof of insurance. No problem - except you must go to the office, pay them and receive newly minted documents for presentation to the registration people. Well Sunday morning didn't work out but Sunday afternoon did.
I left work, drove home and changed as it was a rather warm day of 116F (it doesn't get hot until Aug/Sept) and I would have sweated through my suit in no time.
From there I drove to Carrefours (supermarket) parked my car and took a taxi into downtown Abu Dhabi. Why - traffic and parking is horrible in town and for 30 AED or $11 US it was well worth it not to fight the battle. It took 45 min. to get there. I was first in line when the door opened at 2p after lunch break and got my insurance renewed. - The clerk says - this is the paper you need to present to the registration people within one week of today. Ok No problem I'm going there next.
I leave, hail a cab and repeat the drive back to the supermarket. I pick up my car and drive the 2 miles to the Vehicle Registration office. I'm there at 3p - doing great on time. I present myself and tell them I wanted to register my car and YES you guessed it - the first question out of the clerks mouth - "Do you have your ID card ? " Well no - but I counter with you have not received official notification - this receives a you must be joking look - my ploy didn't work.
Next question - Ok Where do you get this ID Card? - he explains - behind Carrefours (you know, the place I just left) - I growl a frustrated growl and out the door I go. 10 min. later I'm circling the block looking for the building - and amazing enough found it without too much difficulity.
But why are there so many police and people there? Guess there must have been 10 - 15 people and police milling about. I park and get to the entry gate where I am told - CLOSED - What ??
I ask what's wrong - I'm told they have so many people inside they cannot possibly do any more - so they have stopped entry of anyone else for today. Come back tomorrow! (felt like I was standing at the doors to the Emerald Palace with the Wicked Witch flying overhead)

Ok what are the timings - police tells me 7:30a - 5p. With no hope of seeing the Wizard, I retreat to the car grumbling all the way and return home ending my hopes of registering the car that day.

Next day, 3 May, is Go-Live with new computer system - and there was no way I could miss this. So defer all until today 4 May. I get up and being the smart guy I am, I say to myself - Go early and be in line before anyone else and make this agony time as short as possible. So I leave the house and arrive at the building no later than 7:10a.

Now comes the reason for the title of this blog.- The Image.

Think back to when we all saw pictures of the fall of the embassy in Vietnam with hundreds of people swarming the gate - all holding documents in their hands and frantically waiving them to get inside. - Fast forward to this morning in Abu Dhabi. This is the image I saw.

I know it's easy to exagerate the numbers - but in this case - this is no exageration - Hundreds of people all crowded around the gate waiting for their turn to get in - no civilized queue, no line wrapping around the building, no take a number, just a mass of humanity all scrambling to jockey for position when the gates opened up.
(It's no wonder the guard at the gate on Sunday afternoon looked shellshocked if this was what he had to endure all day)

I take one look at this and turned the car around and went back home, changed and came to work. There was no way I was getting into the middle of that scene- nor did I have the time to spend as well. Should I have come at 3am? Doubtful I would have been first in line - Opps - no line - mass humanity and no respect for a line if one was started.

So my options are limited. Either fight the crowds or worry about it later and register my car upon my return in June.

I've heard that the hospital will be bringing a ID card unit to do all the employees here - hopefully this will be before I leave. If not - back to the crowds. As for registering the car - it only cost's 10 AED ($2.70 US) per month every month you are late registering it. Guess you all know what I've chosen to do.

Just another day in paradise.

See many of you soon.
Love
Scott