On the way to the office this morning, I noticed that they were putting barricades around the Prime Minister’s office and I thought aha! They’re expecting anohter demo this morning.
An Arab man's attempt at bridging the cultural gap and trying to make a difference. Failing a lot. Succeeding once in a while.
On the way to the office this morning, I noticed that they were putting barricades around the Prime Minister’s office and I thought aha! They’re expecting anohter demo this morning.
Comments
They’re at it again for the second day
It is the taxi and pickup drivers who are on demonstration as I suspected. They’re on their second day of “demanding” curtailing the private taxi companies, private bus companies and anyone who is absollutely fed up with these jerks bismirching the Kingdom’s reputation.
They of course would love to see the demise of these private companies as well so that we all (locals and visitors alike) come once again under their mercy.
I do hope that the government will NOT bend to their wishes. The government should in fact open up the market and welcome any taxi company to the island. Make it like Dubai where the government there itself has funded the first startup controlled taxi service. You wouldn’t think twice in Dubai to get into those taxis (they still have the indipendant taxis as well which should be avoided at all costs) as they are good modern cars and are metered.
We can do without these people altogether in Bahrain.
Taxi drivers demonstrating
the hell with you and your shity old taxi, try going around bahrain in the summer in a dump without a/c
Re: Taxi drivers demonstrating
I hope this comment is directed at the crappy taxis and not me! if it is in fact directed at taxis and not me, then I completely agree with you 😉
Taxi drivers demonstrating
u suck…have some feelings for the taxi drivers…gosh! they need to make aliving too u know
Taxi drivers demonstrating
Apparently the taxi drivers haven’t just been protesting about the prospect of facing competition. They’re also demanding that when they retire, they be given the right to pass on their taxi driving permits to their sons, who will no doubt maintain the family commitment to the very highest standards.
Re: Taxi drivers demonstrating
I do have feelings for our taxi drivers. My feelings about them and their plight is ‘put them out of their misery’. Plain and simple. If you have been swindled by any of them you would have the same feeling as well I’m sure. So face reality buddy and open your eyes to their distruction of our tourism and business sectors and then tell me “u suck”.
Re(1): Taxi drivers demonstrating
YOU DONT GIVE ME ATTITUDE U LITTLE TWERP! I HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN IN BAHRAIN TAXIS AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THEIR SERVICES OKAY MISTER MO!!! SO U BETTER LISTEN UP BUCKO AND GET UR ACT TOGETHER CUZ I DONT REALLY LIKE U AT THE MOMENT! THESE TAXI DERIVERS ARE DEDICATED, COMMMITED, LOYAL TO THEIR CUSTOMERS…ALL THEY WANNA DO IS KEEP THEIR FAMILES ALIVE AND HAVE MONEY TO KEEP FOOD ON THEIR TABLES SO HAVE SOME SYMPATHY AND RESPECT…AND DIGNITY! U AHVE OFFENDED ME GREATLY MR MO…HAVE U NO SHAME???!!! I SUGGEST U GO AND THINK ABNOUT WHAT I HAVE SAID AND THEN WHEN U HAVE A DECENT REPLY THEN U MAY COME AND TALK TO ME…DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?? DO U UNDERSTAND?? WELL…U BETTER CUZ THERES NO WAY I CAN MAKE THIS ANY CLEARER FOR U…
Taxi drivers demonstrating
I agree as an Expat who has lived and worked in the Middle East most of my life I find that it is the taxi drivers themselves who are killing their own trade. They never use the meters and try and rip off all in sight so much so that nobody uses the taxis. In Dubai everybody uses taxis instead of their vehicles on a night out because they are reasonably priced. Wise up guys the public wont stand for your slip shod vehicles and your unproffesional manners.
Re(2): Taxi drivers demonstrating
Touched a nerve have I?
1. If you want to defend the taxi drivers, you are more than welcome to. But I suggest you give us concrete reasons for doing so, rather than the illegible diatribe you have posted. And no, posting all in capital letters does not help your case.
2. Don’t get into a personal slug-fest. And don’t indulge in flame wars. That too does not help your cause.
3. You’re worried about the taxi drivers families. So am I. My suggestion to them if they want to continue to support them is live with the times, switch on their meters and don’t swindle every single passanger they pick up, upgrade their cars to something better than the death-traps they’re driving, were some kind of clothes/uniform that has seen the washing machine in the last year or so, and work on their image.
4. Now what’s your suggestion? Continue the slug-fest, take a break and think rationally about the problem, or continue to rant and rave with worthless arguments?
Re: Taxi drivers demonstrating
No, they’re flipping a coin with just about every dilinquent, jail-mate, or “graduates from the 4th primary class” who demand jobs as managers or VPs. And they will get their way.
The government that we have at the moment is without backbone. They’re scared of rocking the boat rather than be courageous and do the right thing in shutting off all of these demands and get real business sense prevail.
The government should simply say to all of these leeches in clear and unambiguous message to bugger off and get on with their lives. If they can’t adapt to competition, then the government should be happy to see their demise. If they do that, then the whole society will pull its collective socks up and get on with it.
They should stop their whining and do something useful. Why can’t they create a cooperative with a common code, common telephone number, get newer cars, advertise a little bit, use their bloody meters, and have an internal customer service section where they can take care of claims and complaints and share the booty? Does the government have to intervene to do that for these morons? They clearly can’t think for themselves and want to blackmail the government into doing their work for them by more useless unbusinesslike legislation to protect their ways.
Well, the people don’t want that. I can get into any taxi in Dubai happily. But would NEVER get cought dead in one of these unmoderated taxis in Bahrain. I wonder why!!
If you’re not creative enough in any market, if you can’t re-invent yourself continuously, you don’t deserve to run any kind of business.
Taxi drivers demonstrating – why not?
My only experience of taxi drivers in the Middle East was in Aden, back in 1967. They were always there when you needed one. They were always friendly. I can’t remember if they used meters – in most cases it was “how much to Tawahi John?” and he would say “two dinar John” or whatever the fare, and you could haggle for a cheaper ride. (Everyone in the forces there got called John, and since that’s my first name in any case, it always sounded like the driver knew me personally.
One of the best taxi drivers here in Lincoln is a guy from Iran. He usually volunteers to do the Saturday and Sunday shifts that the others don’t want to do (tells me that’s when he makes most of his money!) He doesn’t work Fridays of course. Always helps you with the bags and has a smile for everyone.
Re: Taxi drivers demonstrating – why not?
I agree it depends a lot of the personality of the driver, unfortunately my experiences are not as pleasant as yours. Independant taxi drivers in Bahrain are a horror who just want to grab as much as possible and as little a time as possible, and they regard their fare as fair game for extortion in most cases. They are sullying the name of this country as I have not met one single person who would sing their praises, even in a subdued voice!
With major events like Formula 1 happening here soon, I strongly urge the authorities to shut them down immediately and approve more licenses for taxi companies startups.
Taxi drivers demonstrating
1. Mr. Moh’d the expats liked the way taxi drivers treated them ACCEPT it
2. This is the only people you have to represent your taxi system LIVE with it
thanx