There's a disturbing example of the way the legal system can be administered, reported by Gulf News yesterday.
If the story is correct, not for the first time the victim reporting a crime has spent time in Al Slammer.
In summary, when meeting friends at a hotel a young German woman was offered sweets. She felt dizzy and uncomfortable immediately after she ate a sweet and blood tests confirmed she'd been given a drug.
She reported the incident to police, who set up a sting operation which resulted in a man being punished and deported.
All witnesses and law enforcement officers confirmed that she was the one who reported the matter to the police. Forensic doctors confirmed that the drugs which appeared in her blood could have resulted from the sweet she ate.
On Thursday she appeared in court after five months in jail.
After five months in jail.
You have to ask why she was in jail in the first place and why it took five months to get the case to court.
There've been similar cases in the past which have attracted scathing criticism in international media, and rightly so.
On every level it's absolutely the wrong thing to do.
On a moral level it's indefensible to lock up a victim.
It can't be right to keep someone in jail for five months before bringing them to court.
It's counter-productive in the fight against crime. People won't report crime for fear they'll be jailed themselves.
It further harms Dubai's reputation, already under sustained attack by sections of the western media.
And still she's not free. The woman was released on bail, had to surrender her passport and, as the report says, the trial continues.
Gulf News has the full court report here.
Showing posts with label crime. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crime. Show all posts
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Crime in Dubai
One of the plus points about living here is the lack of crime. Safety is always high on the list in surveys about what residents like about the place.
That's not to say it's crime free - you can't expect that in any city which has a population of nearly two million. But for a city this size it really is noticeably better than most places.
That was the theme of comments left on Wednesday's post about abandoned cars.
All sorts of cars are simply left on the streets or in car parks by expats who are leaving, including Jaguars and BMWs. But no-one takes them, and it's the same with so much valuable equipment.
Take restaurants for example. Back home the pavement chairs & tables have to be taken inside every night and the whole shop barred and shuttered.
But here the furniture is simply left in place overnight. And it's still there the next morning.
The dhow loading stretch of the Creek in Deira is the same. All kinds of material is left on the dockside, a completely open public area in the centre of the city.
Back in Oz a truck would pull up on the first night and anything valuable would disappear, and I'm sure the same would happen in many cities. But not here.
Our crime rates are also given some perspective in a report in The National this morning.
Dubai police are warning that juvenile crime is on the increase, and that's obviously a concern.
But look at the figures. How many big cities around the world would love to have a problem of this magnitude?
An average of five crimes a week are committed by children, with the figure expected to rise over the summer break, according to police.
Dubai Police registered 110 juvenile crimes carried outby 161 children in the period between January 1-May 31.
Remember we're talking about a city of over 1.7 million people.
That's not to say it's crime free - you can't expect that in any city which has a population of nearly two million. But for a city this size it really is noticeably better than most places.
That was the theme of comments left on Wednesday's post about abandoned cars.
All sorts of cars are simply left on the streets or in car parks by expats who are leaving, including Jaguars and BMWs. But no-one takes them, and it's the same with so much valuable equipment.
Take restaurants for example. Back home the pavement chairs & tables have to be taken inside every night and the whole shop barred and shuttered.
But here the furniture is simply left in place overnight. And it's still there the next morning.
The dhow loading stretch of the Creek in Deira is the same. All kinds of material is left on the dockside, a completely open public area in the centre of the city.
Back in Oz a truck would pull up on the first night and anything valuable would disappear, and I'm sure the same would happen in many cities. But not here.
Our crime rates are also given some perspective in a report in The National this morning.
Dubai police are warning that juvenile crime is on the increase, and that's obviously a concern.
But look at the figures. How many big cities around the world would love to have a problem of this magnitude?
An average of five crimes a week are committed by children, with the figure expected to rise over the summer break, according to police.
Dubai Police registered 110 juvenile crimes carried outby 161 children in the period between January 1-May 31.
Remember we're talking about a city of over 1.7 million people.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Done by a virus
Chaos at the Seabee computer.
A bloody virus got past the protection and destroyed everything.
Throw it away and buy a new one was my immediate thought but Mrs Seabee called the computer wizard she uses for her office machines. He came round yesterday evening, accessed places I had no idea existed, did whatever it was he did and here I am back in cyberspace.
The next couple of days are going to be taken up trying to put all the stuff back in that was destroyed, like favourites and contacts. I'm having to find all my user names and passwords too so it's taking a while.
Fortunately I back up most of the important stuff with a pen on paper, so I haven't lost it. Being old-fashioned can be a blessing.
I lost all my e-mail folders though, and I hadn't pen&papered all my contact addresses. Idiot! I'll have to wait for friends and family to send me e-mails so that I can get their addresses. This time they go in the book as soon as they arrive.
We, or rather he, managed to retrieve my photograph files. I'd been meaning to back them up for ages, but hadn't got around to it. You know how it is.
By the way, his name is Dilip, he's highly recommended if you have a problem. He forgot to leave his card and I can't raise Mrs Seabee on the phone so I can't give you his contact details at the moment. I'll do that in a follow-up post just in case you ever need him.
Anybody want to join a vigilante group to hunt down and deal with the bastards who create and spread viruses? I'm getting some satisfaction from planning what I'll do with them if we ever catch them.
A bloody virus got past the protection and destroyed everything.
Throw it away and buy a new one was my immediate thought but Mrs Seabee called the computer wizard she uses for her office machines. He came round yesterday evening, accessed places I had no idea existed, did whatever it was he did and here I am back in cyberspace.
The next couple of days are going to be taken up trying to put all the stuff back in that was destroyed, like favourites and contacts. I'm having to find all my user names and passwords too so it's taking a while.
Fortunately I back up most of the important stuff with a pen on paper, so I haven't lost it. Being old-fashioned can be a blessing.
I lost all my e-mail folders though, and I hadn't pen&papered all my contact addresses. Idiot! I'll have to wait for friends and family to send me e-mails so that I can get their addresses. This time they go in the book as soon as they arrive.
We, or rather he, managed to retrieve my photograph files. I'd been meaning to back them up for ages, but hadn't got around to it. You know how it is.
By the way, his name is Dilip, he's highly recommended if you have a problem. He forgot to leave his card and I can't raise Mrs Seabee on the phone so I can't give you his contact details at the moment. I'll do that in a follow-up post just in case you ever need him.
Anybody want to join a vigilante group to hunt down and deal with the bastards who create and spread viruses? I'm getting some satisfaction from planning what I'll do with them if we ever catch them.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Courts, organised crime.
The complaint is the same in many countries, that the courts are soft on crime.
We get some unfathomable sentences here in Dubai - draconian sentences for seemingly minor offences and a slap on the wrist for serious offences.
I read with disbelief that a drunken, speeding bus driver who killed a motorcyclist was given a one year sentence.
We have a zero policy for drinking and driving, he was way over the limit even in countries such as the UK and Australia, he was travelling at high speed on Beach Road. He slammed into an eighteen year old motorcyclist who was, correctly, stopped at a red traffic light.
The court decided his punishment should be one year.
After the sentence Salah Bu Farousha, Head of Dubai's Traffic Public Prosecution said that they wanted : "...tough and deterrent traffic court verdicts against errant drivers and especially those who drink and drive recklessly."
He added: "We constantly appeal primary verdicts which we deem as not deterrent enough."
I hope they appeal this sentence.
There was another story that caught my attention too, a sign of the changing times in Dubai.
In one of our much-publicised new developments, International City, police raided apartments that were operating as brothels. Fifty two of them apparently.
Fifty two?!
They should rename it Brothel City.
There's a predictable sequence when gang-run operations are set up and generate a lot of money. Another gang comes in demanding protection money or tries to muscle in on the operation.
I didn't think I'd see it in Dubai but here it is.
Asian gangs, mainly Vietnamese, who were involved in running brothels in the development...were also involved in inciting violent incidents among their competitors including, murdering an Indian man and seriously injuring another at the China cluster on Friday. Both men were among the competitors involved in the same illegal operations.
The incident on Friday involved more than 20 gang members who managed to break into a brothel at the China cluster demanding money profited from running the business.
Killer driver gets a year.
Brothel City.
We get some unfathomable sentences here in Dubai - draconian sentences for seemingly minor offences and a slap on the wrist for serious offences.
I read with disbelief that a drunken, speeding bus driver who killed a motorcyclist was given a one year sentence.
We have a zero policy for drinking and driving, he was way over the limit even in countries such as the UK and Australia, he was travelling at high speed on Beach Road. He slammed into an eighteen year old motorcyclist who was, correctly, stopped at a red traffic light.
The court decided his punishment should be one year.
After the sentence Salah Bu Farousha, Head of Dubai's Traffic Public Prosecution said that they wanted : "...tough and deterrent traffic court verdicts against errant drivers and especially those who drink and drive recklessly."
He added: "We constantly appeal primary verdicts which we deem as not deterrent enough."
I hope they appeal this sentence.
There was another story that caught my attention too, a sign of the changing times in Dubai.
In one of our much-publicised new developments, International City, police raided apartments that were operating as brothels. Fifty two of them apparently.
Fifty two?!
They should rename it Brothel City.
There's a predictable sequence when gang-run operations are set up and generate a lot of money. Another gang comes in demanding protection money or tries to muscle in on the operation.
I didn't think I'd see it in Dubai but here it is.
Asian gangs, mainly Vietnamese, who were involved in running brothels in the development...were also involved in inciting violent incidents among their competitors including, murdering an Indian man and seriously injuring another at the China cluster on Friday. Both men were among the competitors involved in the same illegal operations.
The incident on Friday involved more than 20 gang members who managed to break into a brothel at the China cluster demanding money profited from running the business.
Killer driver gets a year.
Brothel City.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Aussie vs Aussie over Dubai Waterfront deal
Dubai real estate is getting coverage in the Australian media again. This time it's the story that a claim has been lodged in the Federal Court in Brisbane over an alleged con relating to land on The Waterfront project.
It's Aussies versus Aussies in this one.
Sunland, a company backed by the Packer family, one of Australia's richest and most powerful families, says that two Australians 'conspired to defraud the company'.
There's old school tie stuff involved too, the two defendants, Matt Joyce and Angus Reed,having been at one of Melbourne's best schools together.
Matt Joyce, who was managing director of Nakheel's Dubai Waterfront project, has been in jail since the beginning of the year and was recently charged after a corruption investigation. Mr Reed is in Melbourne, a fugative according to Dubai authorities.
The claim is that the pair hid their friendship from Sunland and misled them into believing that Reed's company owned a particular block of land on The Waterfront project. Sunland payed Reed's company over A$14 million for 'releasing' the land but were later told by the Emirates audit office that Mr Reed had never purchased the property in question, and there had been no reason why Sunland could not have purchased the property in their own right.
It's a complicated plot and if you're interested you can read about it in Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian.
It's Aussies versus Aussies in this one.
Sunland, a company backed by the Packer family, one of Australia's richest and most powerful families, says that two Australians 'conspired to defraud the company'.
There's old school tie stuff involved too, the two defendants, Matt Joyce and Angus Reed,having been at one of Melbourne's best schools together.
Matt Joyce, who was managing director of Nakheel's Dubai Waterfront project, has been in jail since the beginning of the year and was recently charged after a corruption investigation. Mr Reed is in Melbourne, a fugative according to Dubai authorities.
The claim is that the pair hid their friendship from Sunland and misled them into believing that Reed's company owned a particular block of land on The Waterfront project. Sunland payed Reed's company over A$14 million for 'releasing' the land but were later told by the Emirates audit office that Mr Reed had never purchased the property in question, and there had been no reason why Sunland could not have purchased the property in their own right.
It's a complicated plot and if you're interested you can read about it in Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Sally's out
Here's an update on my post of a couple of weeks ago about Sally, dobbed in to the police in Dubai by her husband for being in a hotel with another man.
It resulted in two months in Al Slammer for Sally and her paramour Mark.
According to The Times she's been released two weeks early (no mention of whether Mark was also released) and has flown to Australia with her husband.
None of it makes any sense to me, these are not unworldly fouteen year olds. She'd lived here for twelve years so was fully aware of the law on sex outside marriage; she presumably knew her husband well enough to realise he might turn her in; having done that he claims to have said he didn't want to press charges; he regularly visited her in Al Slammer and she said she was trying to be 'not bitter'.
The article also says that 'it was suggested that the trip to Australia might be a permanent move in an attempt to start afresh', another for the 'I Don't Understand' file.
Anyone who's tried to emigrate to Australia will know how very difficult it is. Just hop on a plane to Brisbane for a permanent move? In your dreams.
The Times story is here. As I often suggest, do enjoy the comments left by readers.
It resulted in two months in Al Slammer for Sally and her paramour Mark.
According to The Times she's been released two weeks early (no mention of whether Mark was also released) and has flown to Australia with her husband.
None of it makes any sense to me, these are not unworldly fouteen year olds. She'd lived here for twelve years so was fully aware of the law on sex outside marriage; she presumably knew her husband well enough to realise he might turn her in; having done that he claims to have said he didn't want to press charges; he regularly visited her in Al Slammer and she said she was trying to be 'not bitter'.
The article also says that 'it was suggested that the trip to Australia might be a permanent move in an attempt to start afresh', another for the 'I Don't Understand' file.
Anyone who's tried to emigrate to Australia will know how very difficult it is. Just hop on a plane to Brisbane for a permanent move? In your dreams.
The Times story is here. As I often suggest, do enjoy the comments left by readers.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Public Prosecution loses child abuse appeal
An interesting verdict yesterday from the Abu Dhabi Court of Appeal I thought.
It related to a high profile case, deliberately high profile because the authorities wanted to raise awareness of child abuse.
The original hearing was the first case in which journalists were invited by the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department to attend court proceedings.
In that original hearing the father and step-mother were sentenced to ten years each for severely abusing their daughter, causing her permanent disability.
The sentences were appealed by Public Prosecution who asked for the maximum penalty of fifteen years.
The parents also appealed, obviously asking for the sentences to be reduced.
Yesterday the court decided in favour of the parents and cut the sentences to seven years.
Given the injuries suffered by the little girl my sympathies are with Public Prosecution.
The subject has support at the highest level. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, visited the victim in hospital. Both he and Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Minister of Interior, have spoken out strongly against child abuse.
This sentence from the report in The National is disturbing, especially in light of the high level and official involvement:
Despite the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department’s renewed call for transparency, the judge declined to give any reason for reducing the sentence.
Independence of the judiciary is vital to a good legal system, but secrecy helps no-one.
The full report is in The National.
It related to a high profile case, deliberately high profile because the authorities wanted to raise awareness of child abuse.
The original hearing was the first case in which journalists were invited by the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department to attend court proceedings.
In that original hearing the father and step-mother were sentenced to ten years each for severely abusing their daughter, causing her permanent disability.
The sentences were appealed by Public Prosecution who asked for the maximum penalty of fifteen years.
The parents also appealed, obviously asking for the sentences to be reduced.
Yesterday the court decided in favour of the parents and cut the sentences to seven years.
Given the injuries suffered by the little girl my sympathies are with Public Prosecution.
The subject has support at the highest level. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, visited the victim in hospital. Both he and Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Minister of Interior, have spoken out strongly against child abuse.
This sentence from the report in The National is disturbing, especially in light of the high level and official involvement:
Despite the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department’s renewed call for transparency, the judge declined to give any reason for reducing the sentence.
Independence of the judiciary is vital to a good legal system, but secrecy helps no-one.
The full report is in The National.
Two months for Sally & Mark
Just an update on my posts last week about the British couple on trial for sex outside marriage.
They pleaded guilty in the Dubai Court of Misdemeanour and have been sentenced to two months in Al Slammer followed by deportation.
The UK papers I quoted in the earlier post have been reasonably restrained, but the stories differ somewhat.
According to The Sun husband Vincent is sorry he dobbed her in to the cops: Sally and I were not estranged and we were not involved in divorce proceedings. Sally was having an affair with Mark Hawkins.
The Daily Mail says differently: Friends of Mr and Mrs Antia said their marriage had been in trouble for years, but that they had agreed to stay together for the sake of their children.
One friend said: 'They were open about the fact that their relationship was over. Vincent was happy for Sally to go out with other people. He knew about it and it wasn't a problem. So everyone was astonished when they heard that he had informed the police on her'.
At the court hearing, Mr Hawkins's lawyer told the court that Mr Antia had given his wife permission to go out with him.
It's in the papers so it must be true folks.
And they criticise bloggers as unreliable sources of information!
Read the stories and take your pick which one you want to believe:
The Sun.
Daily Mail.
They pleaded guilty in the Dubai Court of Misdemeanour and have been sentenced to two months in Al Slammer followed by deportation.
The UK papers I quoted in the earlier post have been reasonably restrained, but the stories differ somewhat.
According to The Sun husband Vincent is sorry he dobbed her in to the cops: Sally and I were not estranged and we were not involved in divorce proceedings. Sally was having an affair with Mark Hawkins.
The Daily Mail says differently: Friends of Mr and Mrs Antia said their marriage had been in trouble for years, but that they had agreed to stay together for the sake of their children.
One friend said: 'They were open about the fact that their relationship was over. Vincent was happy for Sally to go out with other people. He knew about it and it wasn't a problem. So everyone was astonished when they heard that he had informed the police on her'.
At the court hearing, Mr Hawkins's lawyer told the court that Mr Antia had given his wife permission to go out with him.
It's in the papers so it must be true folks.
And they criticise bloggers as unreliable sources of information!
Read the stories and take your pick which one you want to believe:
The Sun.
Daily Mail.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
What caring people
The tale of the British woman Sally Antia, in jail for adultery which I posted about yesterday, is now in the UK's Daily Mail.
They have an interview with Sally who describes the less than luxurious conditions in Al Slammer.
I won't go into it because I've put a link at the bottom so that you can read the full story yourself.
What I thought fascinating were the comments.
The story was originally in The Sun but when I linked to it in my earlier post there were no comments. Now there are plenty and they're fascinating too.
I actually expected to see most of them slamming the laws here, but in fact there are surprisingly few.
Most are along the lines of 'serves her right' and 'when in Rome', but an awful lot are really quite vicious - 'I hope she rots in jail'; 'great, really pleased to hear it'; 'nice one, Karma at its best' and to her husband who had her jailed; 'sweet revenge, well done sir'
Perhaps predictably in the right-wing Daily Mail there are plenty wishing that the jails in the UK were the same as Dubai's.
A fascinating insight into how caring of others people are.
I wonder whether the so-righteous commenters are themselves as squeaky clean as their comments suggest and I wonder how their opinions would change if they were the one in trouble.
If you have time, do read them.
The Daily Mail says: 'This is like being in a filthy labour camp,' says adultery mother locked in Dubai jail hell.
The original Sun story: Adultery blonde's year in Dubai jail.
And The Sun reader comments are here.
They have an interview with Sally who describes the less than luxurious conditions in Al Slammer.
I won't go into it because I've put a link at the bottom so that you can read the full story yourself.
What I thought fascinating were the comments.
The story was originally in The Sun but when I linked to it in my earlier post there were no comments. Now there are plenty and they're fascinating too.
I actually expected to see most of them slamming the laws here, but in fact there are surprisingly few.
Most are along the lines of 'serves her right' and 'when in Rome', but an awful lot are really quite vicious - 'I hope she rots in jail'; 'great, really pleased to hear it'; 'nice one, Karma at its best' and to her husband who had her jailed; 'sweet revenge, well done sir'
Perhaps predictably in the right-wing Daily Mail there are plenty wishing that the jails in the UK were the same as Dubai's.
A fascinating insight into how caring of others people are.
I wonder whether the so-righteous commenters are themselves as squeaky clean as their comments suggest and I wonder how their opinions would change if they were the one in trouble.
If you have time, do read them.
The Daily Mail says: 'This is like being in a filthy labour camp,' says adultery mother locked in Dubai jail hell.
The original Sun story: Adultery blonde's year in Dubai jail.
And The Sun reader comments are here.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Husband jails wife
That fine example of quality journalism, The Sun tabloid from the UK, yesterday told its readers about "Adultery blonde's year in Dubai jail".
In true tabloid style it's a sensationalist but untrue headline.
Later in the story it tells its readers that: "Adultery is punishable in Dubai by a maximum sentence of a year in jail and deportation."
They also tell readers that she is: "in custody and facing deportation" so they've covered everything they can think of.
In reality she hasn't been sentenced, or even brought to trial yet.
I don't agree with the law by any stretch of the imagination, but the law of the land is the law of the land. I'm sure she was aware of it, took a risk and unfortunately was caught.
Well, not quite 'caught' - she's in Al Slammer courtesy of her husband who tipped off Dubai's finest.
I know it's not uncommon but I can never understand the level of bitterness, hatred, vindictiveness that estranged couples can descend to.
In this instance I think it's even worse because the couple have two daughters, aged 13 and 11.
It makes me wonder whether that side of the husband's character might just have had something to do with his wife being attracted elsewhere.
The Sun tells the story here.
In true tabloid style it's a sensationalist but untrue headline.
Later in the story it tells its readers that: "Adultery is punishable in Dubai by a maximum sentence of a year in jail and deportation."
They also tell readers that she is: "in custody and facing deportation" so they've covered everything they can think of.
In reality she hasn't been sentenced, or even brought to trial yet.
I don't agree with the law by any stretch of the imagination, but the law of the land is the law of the land. I'm sure she was aware of it, took a risk and unfortunately was caught.
Well, not quite 'caught' - she's in Al Slammer courtesy of her husband who tipped off Dubai's finest.
I know it's not uncommon but I can never understand the level of bitterness, hatred, vindictiveness that estranged couples can descend to.
In this instance I think it's even worse because the couple have two daughters, aged 13 and 11.
It makes me wonder whether that side of the husband's character might just have had something to do with his wife being attracted elsewhere.
The Sun tells the story here.
Monday, April 07, 2008
The good side of Dubai
Strolling along the beach I was reminded of the good side of Dubai.
One thing was the combination of weather, beach, warm sea.
The other was something we should never take for granted, given the situation in much of the rest of the world.
Security. Lack of crime.
For example, there've been many reports from cities around the world of teenagers in particular being attacked and beaten up by gangs stealing their trainers.
Near Burj Al Arab a teacher had a bunch of schoolkids on the beach...
One thing was the combination of weather, beach, warm sea.
The other was something we should never take for granted, given the situation in much of the rest of the world.
Security. Lack of crime.
For example, there've been many reports from cities around the world of teenagers in particular being attacked and beaten up by gangs stealing their trainers.
Near Burj Al Arab a teacher had a bunch of schoolkids on the beach...
Sunday, February 03, 2008
It ain't just Dubai
We complain about the traffic in Dubai - and rightly so, I shall continue to complain I'm sure. But some of the complaints I've read give the impression that Dubai's problems are unique, or the worst possible.
We're in a fantasy bubble in Dubai and so many people lose perspective of the bigger world. My home town had problems last week which puts our traffic situation into some perspective.
Commuting into Sydney and out again in the evening is a nightmare, in all directions. There's a toll on Sydney Harbour Bridge and on many of the freeways. Sound familiar? The tolls are much more than Dh4 too.
There are just two roads going north from Sydney through the Central Coast and to Newcastle, which is a commuter area. They are the Pacific Highway and the F3 Freeway. When the F3 was completed the Pacific Highway was allowed to fall into disrepair, which means in reality there are one-and-a-half roads north.
If, as happens all too frequently, there's a major incident on the F3 it's total chaos. Sound familiar?
Last week the papers reported:
Commuters trapped again
TWO days of traffic chaos on the F3 have reignited calls for a second freeway to Sydney.
A truck crash closed the F3 for seven hours and stranded thousands of southbound holidaymakers and commuters on Tuesday. On Wednesday a pile-up northbound at Berowra injured 10 people and caused more delays.
Motorists were stuck for up to seven hours in a traffic jam in soaring summer heat after a fiery truck crash closed the F3 freeway north of Sydney on Tuesday.
The 18-tonne Kenworth semi-trailer, carrying a load of waste paper and rags, crashed into a sandstone rockface near the Berowra exit of the F3 about 6.30am, bursting into flames.
Both southbound lanes of the freeway were closed for most of the day, one opening at about 1.30pm and the other at about 4pm.
Motorists who weren't trapped on the freeway headed for the alternative Pacific Highway:
It's like trying to avoid gridlock on Sheikh Zayed Road by using Al Wasl Road!
And it's the RTA that's to blame. Sound familiar?
The Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) has been criticised for its handling of the incident, with traffic left banked up for at least 10 kilometres in soaring summer temperatures.
'There is a real duty of care for the RTA for the people who were stuck in this traffic jam,' said Opposition roads spokesman Duncan Gay. 'They cannot just put a sign up, walk away and hope that people will be all right. In a case like this they needed to have extra people with extra directions ... this is the sort of thing they should have been prepared for because frankly it's not unusual for this situation to happen on the F3.'
And does the standard of driving sound familiar?
The driver of the truck, Bill Barry, said he had only taken his eyes off the road for a moment. 'I was reaching down to get a drink out of my fridge.I was sort of coming along and hit the gutter there and that's when I'm into the wall.'
At the height of the blaze, six fire units and 15 crew worked to extinguish the fire in the truck and the burning paper, which had to be pulled apart and hosed down.
A HAZMAT crew was also called in to contain a spill of blazing diesel which ran down the side of the road for about 100 metres.
Where Dubai wins
There was another story that also put Dubai into perspective, something that people living here take for granted.
The lack of crime. And particularly mindless acts of random violence.
Hoons pelt cars with rocks and bottles
A RETIRED couple narrowly escaped serious injury when their car was pelted with rocks.
They were driving home from a friend's house at Tumbi Umbi along the Central Coast Highway at 9.30pm on Monday when they saw three males emerge from the bush beside Wamberal Cemetery.
Bob Watson, 65, of Avoca Beach, said the first rock put a hole in the windscreen while another glanced off the passenger-side corner centimetres from his wife's face. A third left a large dent in their front number plate.
Mr Watson said a young woman's Porsche about 150m in front of their car was also pelted with rocks and beer bottles.
'If it had gone through her open window she could have been killed,' he said. 'Her car was covered in beer, it was sloshed everywhere.'
The senseless act bore striking similarities to a rock-throwing incident on the South Coast which left a promising young beauty therapist permanently disfigured last year.
It's a real plus about living in Dubai.
We're in a fantasy bubble in Dubai and so many people lose perspective of the bigger world. My home town had problems last week which puts our traffic situation into some perspective.
Commuting into Sydney and out again in the evening is a nightmare, in all directions. There's a toll on Sydney Harbour Bridge and on many of the freeways. Sound familiar? The tolls are much more than Dh4 too.
There are just two roads going north from Sydney through the Central Coast and to Newcastle, which is a commuter area. They are the Pacific Highway and the F3 Freeway. When the F3 was completed the Pacific Highway was allowed to fall into disrepair, which means in reality there are one-and-a-half roads north.
If, as happens all too frequently, there's a major incident on the F3 it's total chaos. Sound familiar?
Last week the papers reported:
Commuters trapped again
TWO days of traffic chaos on the F3 have reignited calls for a second freeway to Sydney.
A truck crash closed the F3 for seven hours and stranded thousands of southbound holidaymakers and commuters on Tuesday. On Wednesday a pile-up northbound at Berowra injured 10 people and caused more delays.
Motorists were stuck for up to seven hours in a traffic jam in soaring summer heat after a fiery truck crash closed the F3 freeway north of Sydney on Tuesday.
The 18-tonne Kenworth semi-trailer, carrying a load of waste paper and rags, crashed into a sandstone rockface near the Berowra exit of the F3 about 6.30am, bursting into flames.
Both southbound lanes of the freeway were closed for most of the day, one opening at about 1.30pm and the other at about 4pm.
Motorists who weren't trapped on the freeway headed for the alternative Pacific Highway:
It's like trying to avoid gridlock on Sheikh Zayed Road by using Al Wasl Road!
And it's the RTA that's to blame. Sound familiar?
The Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) has been criticised for its handling of the incident, with traffic left banked up for at least 10 kilometres in soaring summer temperatures.
'There is a real duty of care for the RTA for the people who were stuck in this traffic jam,' said Opposition roads spokesman Duncan Gay. 'They cannot just put a sign up, walk away and hope that people will be all right. In a case like this they needed to have extra people with extra directions ... this is the sort of thing they should have been prepared for because frankly it's not unusual for this situation to happen on the F3.'
And does the standard of driving sound familiar?
The driver of the truck, Bill Barry, said he had only taken his eyes off the road for a moment. 'I was reaching down to get a drink out of my fridge.I was sort of coming along and hit the gutter there and that's when I'm into the wall.'
At the height of the blaze, six fire units and 15 crew worked to extinguish the fire in the truck and the burning paper, which had to be pulled apart and hosed down.
A HAZMAT crew was also called in to contain a spill of blazing diesel which ran down the side of the road for about 100 metres.
Where Dubai wins
There was another story that also put Dubai into perspective, something that people living here take for granted.
The lack of crime. And particularly mindless acts of random violence.
Hoons pelt cars with rocks and bottles
A RETIRED couple narrowly escaped serious injury when their car was pelted with rocks.
They were driving home from a friend's house at Tumbi Umbi along the Central Coast Highway at 9.30pm on Monday when they saw three males emerge from the bush beside Wamberal Cemetery.
Bob Watson, 65, of Avoca Beach, said the first rock put a hole in the windscreen while another glanced off the passenger-side corner centimetres from his wife's face. A third left a large dent in their front number plate.
Mr Watson said a young woman's Porsche about 150m in front of their car was also pelted with rocks and beer bottles.
'If it had gone through her open window she could have been killed,' he said. 'Her car was covered in beer, it was sloshed everywhere.'
The senseless act bore striking similarities to a rock-throwing incident on the South Coast which left a promising young beauty therapist permanently disfigured last year.
It's a real plus about living in Dubai.
Monday, August 06, 2007
A parody of justice
Remember the screaming headlines?
Soldier sentenced to 110 years in rape and murder of Iraqi girl
In fact it raises huge questions about American justice.
Read the CNN report and you find more detail:
"The sentence was part of a plea agreement attorneys for Pfc. Jesse Spielman had made with prosecutors.
It set the number of years he could serve in prison, regardless of the jury's recommendation.
The jury had recommended life with parole, a sentence under which he would have to wait longer for the possibility of parole.
He will be eligible for parole after 10 years."
Forget justice. Ignore the jury. Laugh at the sentence, it's meaningless PR spin. The way American justice works is to do shady deals in smokey back rooms.
What a disgrace.
Don't believe me? Go to the CNN story. I should warn you that it's a sickening report. Be reminded of what these animals are guilty of and there's only one sentence an honest system would hand down.
Soldier sentenced to 110 years in rape and murder of Iraqi girl
In fact it raises huge questions about American justice.
Read the CNN report and you find more detail:
"The sentence was part of a plea agreement attorneys for Pfc. Jesse Spielman had made with prosecutors.
It set the number of years he could serve in prison, regardless of the jury's recommendation.
The jury had recommended life with parole, a sentence under which he would have to wait longer for the possibility of parole.
He will be eligible for parole after 10 years."
Forget justice. Ignore the jury. Laugh at the sentence, it's meaningless PR spin. The way American justice works is to do shady deals in smokey back rooms.
What a disgrace.
Don't believe me? Go to the CNN story. I should warn you that it's a sickening report. Be reminded of what these animals are guilty of and there's only one sentence an honest system would hand down.
Friday, August 03, 2007
Arrests made in dancer's death case.
Following on from yesterday's posting about the death of Aaina Malek, caused because she was, allegedly, locked in her apartment by her employer, I'm pleased to read that the manager of the dance club has been arrested.
He will be referred to Public Prosecution on charges of suppressing the freedom of people, according to a senior police official.
I sincerely hope the charges will be increased from that, given that someone died as a result of being locked up.
Two flatmates of the dead girl have also been arrested, and from how I read the report it seems the charge is the same as for the manager.
There's an added chapter in the tragedy for the family too - apparently Aaina's teenage brother was killed in a road accident last year.
Gulf News has the story here.
He will be referred to Public Prosecution on charges of suppressing the freedom of people, according to a senior police official.
I sincerely hope the charges will be increased from that, given that someone died as a result of being locked up.
Two flatmates of the dead girl have also been arrested, and from how I read the report it seems the charge is the same as for the manager.
There's an added chapter in the tragedy for the family too - apparently Aaina's teenage brother was killed in a road accident last year.
Gulf News has the story here.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Criminal treatment of employees.
Another example of the appalling way far too many employers treat their employees.
On Monday a fire in a residential building in Al Rolla Road, Bur Dubai resulted in the death of one young woman. Several others were rescued.
A neighbour reported at the time that he had to kick the door down to try to rescue residents from the burning apartment. Witnesses said that they could all have been rescued had the door not been locked.
Today Gulf News reports that police are investigating whether the door was locked, imprisoning the people living there.
A big area of abuse seems to be emerging here, brought to public attention as a result of the fire.
I didn't realise that there are, apparently, more than 150 Asian dance clubs in Dubai where hundreds of girls perform every night.
"They normally keep the girls, who perform in dance clubs, locked in their flats during the day for 'safety' reasons," said a dancer, who works at another club.
"It is quite common and the management of many Indian and Pakistani night-clubs follows the same practice.
We are taken to clubs around 8pm and brought back to flats after 3am when the clubs close. We are not allowed to go anywhere. We are given food in the flat and we live like prisoners," she said.
Several girls and employees of other clubs also confirmed this.
When contacted, the management of the club refused to comment."
Locking people up in this way is, apart from any humanitarian issue, a criminal offence. Confirming that, Dubai police said that legal action can be taken against the offenders.
I sincerely hope that the full weight of the law will be brought down on anyone found guilty of this crime. In the case of Sana'a Malek (aka Aaina), the girl who died, I hope that nothing less than manslaughter is charged.
Another aspect of the story is that the dancers are brought in on visit visas but work for three months. If the customers like them their visit visas are renewed, if not they're sent back.
Working while on a visit visa? Isn't that illegal too?
While investigating this individual tragedy I hope that Dubai police extend the investigation into the whole sordid, illegal activity and bring to justice any and all employers who are responsible.
The full story is in Gulf News here.
On Monday a fire in a residential building in Al Rolla Road, Bur Dubai resulted in the death of one young woman. Several others were rescued.
A neighbour reported at the time that he had to kick the door down to try to rescue residents from the burning apartment. Witnesses said that they could all have been rescued had the door not been locked.
Today Gulf News reports that police are investigating whether the door was locked, imprisoning the people living there.
A big area of abuse seems to be emerging here, brought to public attention as a result of the fire.
I didn't realise that there are, apparently, more than 150 Asian dance clubs in Dubai where hundreds of girls perform every night.
"They normally keep the girls, who perform in dance clubs, locked in their flats during the day for 'safety' reasons," said a dancer, who works at another club.
"It is quite common and the management of many Indian and Pakistani night-clubs follows the same practice.
We are taken to clubs around 8pm and brought back to flats after 3am when the clubs close. We are not allowed to go anywhere. We are given food in the flat and we live like prisoners," she said.
Several girls and employees of other clubs also confirmed this.
When contacted, the management of the club refused to comment."
Locking people up in this way is, apart from any humanitarian issue, a criminal offence. Confirming that, Dubai police said that legal action can be taken against the offenders.
I sincerely hope that the full weight of the law will be brought down on anyone found guilty of this crime. In the case of Sana'a Malek (aka Aaina), the girl who died, I hope that nothing less than manslaughter is charged.
Another aspect of the story is that the dancers are brought in on visit visas but work for three months. If the customers like them their visit visas are renewed, if not they're sent back.
Working while on a visit visa? Isn't that illegal too?
While investigating this individual tragedy I hope that Dubai police extend the investigation into the whole sordid, illegal activity and bring to justice any and all employers who are responsible.
The full story is in Gulf News here.
Monday, April 30, 2007
GOT'EM!
Congratulations are in order to Dubai Police. They said they'd catch the gang responsible for the ram-raid at Wafi Mall and they've been as good as their word.
Three people are in jail, two caught in the UAE and one in Eastern Europe, and the stolen jewellery has been recovered. Police released photographs - these are the two caught in the UAE:
The operation must have been in co-operation with other police forces - I assume Interpol and probably other European police forces were involved. That's good to see and very necessary with modern international crime.
Other suspects are still being hunted from the gang which is said to have committed over 100 operations in Europe.
The full story is in Gulf News, here.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Putting Virginia Tech. into context.
Thirty-two victims and their killer die in one day at Virginia Tech., a horrifying tragedy.
America and much of the world is swamped with days of news coverage, pundits are wheeled out on TV and radio to disect the whole thing.
But. I always have a but.
Put it into context.
That many Americans are shot to death every ten hours. Of every day. Year in and year out.
An average of eight-five Americans die by gunshot every day.
The same number as were killed on 9/11 are killed every five weeks.
Thirty thousand are killed every year.
Go back over the last four paragraphs , read them slowly and think about them.
This is not just armed criminal street gangs, as is often suggested. It's estimated that there are about 250 million guns, from handguns to fully automatic army weapons, throughout American society. That's almost one for every man, woman and child in the country.
Americans For Gun Safety website gives figures for 1998, the latest quoted. In Virginia that year there were 295 homicides, 531 suicides, 33 fatal gun accidents and 13 'other gun deaths', a total of 872. At 12.29 per 100,000 population that's almost as bad as Dubai's road deaths that we complain so much about. That year, 30,708 died by gunshot nationally, a rate of 11.32 per 100,000.
The battle lines are drawn of course - gun control and no gun control spokespeople are out in force.
I was particularly taken with this quote from the Gun Owners of America, who call the school "a victim disarmament zone":
"The latest school shooting demands an immediate end to the gun-free zone law which leaves the nation's schools at the mercy of madmen. It is irresponsibly dangerous to tell citizens that they may not have guns at schools."
Pretty well sums up the thinking in what appears to be the majority of America, or at least by the only people who matter, the ones with power and influence.
And I can't see that the situation will get anything but worse. It's very difficult to change something that's been a part of a culture from its very beginning. It's not impossible, it's happened in other cultures through the millenia, but the people have to want the change.
America is a violent country, created by violence & the gun and it's all ingrained in the phsyche. So in the next decade over 300,000 Americans are going to die at the barrel of a gun.
Astonishingly, they're going to accept it.
Some reading:
Gun deaths per year.
Gun Deaths By State.
Gun Owners of America.
America and much of the world is swamped with days of news coverage, pundits are wheeled out on TV and radio to disect the whole thing.
But. I always have a but.
Put it into context.
That many Americans are shot to death every ten hours. Of every day. Year in and year out.
An average of eight-five Americans die by gunshot every day.
The same number as were killed on 9/11 are killed every five weeks.
Thirty thousand are killed every year.
Go back over the last four paragraphs , read them slowly and think about them.
This is not just armed criminal street gangs, as is often suggested. It's estimated that there are about 250 million guns, from handguns to fully automatic army weapons, throughout American society. That's almost one for every man, woman and child in the country.
Americans For Gun Safety website gives figures for 1998, the latest quoted. In Virginia that year there were 295 homicides, 531 suicides, 33 fatal gun accidents and 13 'other gun deaths', a total of 872. At 12.29 per 100,000 population that's almost as bad as Dubai's road deaths that we complain so much about. That year, 30,708 died by gunshot nationally, a rate of 11.32 per 100,000.
The battle lines are drawn of course - gun control and no gun control spokespeople are out in force.
I was particularly taken with this quote from the Gun Owners of America, who call the school "a victim disarmament zone":
"The latest school shooting demands an immediate end to the gun-free zone law which leaves the nation's schools at the mercy of madmen. It is irresponsibly dangerous to tell citizens that they may not have guns at schools."
Pretty well sums up the thinking in what appears to be the majority of America, or at least by the only people who matter, the ones with power and influence.
And I can't see that the situation will get anything but worse. It's very difficult to change something that's been a part of a culture from its very beginning. It's not impossible, it's happened in other cultures through the millenia, but the people have to want the change.
America is a violent country, created by violence & the gun and it's all ingrained in the phsyche. So in the next decade over 300,000 Americans are going to die at the barrel of a gun.
Astonishingly, they're going to accept it.
Some reading:
Gun deaths per year.
Gun Deaths By State.
Gun Owners of America.
Friday, April 20, 2007
That's what I call confidence.
Let's hope he's right, what a feather in Dubai's cap it would be.
What am I on about?
Dubai's Chief of Police, Lt. Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim says the gang has carried out 132 successful operations in Europe, which must mean they've identified the robbers.
Here's the bit I'm referring to - he says: "The gang carried out 132 successful operations in Europe, but its end will be in Dubai."
The police forces of Europe couldn't catch them, but Dubai's finest are going to.
Go get'em boys, and girls.
Here's the story: Gang's end 'will be in Dubai'
What am I on about?
Dubai's Chief of Police, Lt. Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim says the gang has carried out 132 successful operations in Europe, which must mean they've identified the robbers.
Here's the bit I'm referring to - he says: "The gang carried out 132 successful operations in Europe, but its end will be in Dubai."
The police forces of Europe couldn't catch them, but Dubai's finest are going to.
Go get'em boys, and girls.
Here's the story: Gang's end 'will be in Dubai'
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Some good-news stories
I never thought I'd be saying it about any of our papers, but today's Gulf News is full of interesting reading. I'll do a separate posting on the government's new three year development plan.
A couple of good-news items particularly caught my eye. The first is:
No group worker visas for firms defaulting on salaries.
The story goes on to tell us that the Ministry of Labour is cracking down on rogue companies. If they don't pay salaries for more than two months they will not be allowed to apply for new visas for one year. They are also threatened with liquidation of their bank warranties.
"It's part of the strict measures being taken by the ministry against companies that do not pay salaries in time or have inadequate accommodation for the workers or medical facilities" said Humaid Bin Deemas, Assistant Under-Secretary.
The second is headed:
Security firms say they will not arm personnel
In the wake of the ram-raid at Wafi City there's a risk of over-reaction, and although I can't imagine that the government would allow non-police people to be armed, it's good to see that the security companies interviewed by Gulf News already seem to be taking a sensible approach. And they're honest about their industry.
One security comapny spokesman said: "The market is not willing to pay properly for security and as a result we do not hire trained professionals". We're all well aware of that of course, but it's nice to hear the industry say it.
Other quotes of note:
"...companies should emphasise recruiting of security guards who are heavily built, otherwise aggressive youngsters will be tempted to try to grab the gun of a lean security guard."
"...there is a strong chance of disgruntled employees misusing their weapons if they are not properly trained by the government on how to handle arms. It is workable if the guards are qualified. If they are not, then the weapons they are equipped with can be misused."
I'm sure I'm not alone in being horrified at the thought of armed guards all over the place, trained or not.
I'll post some photos another day of the situation in Cairo, where the security presence around hotels and tourist sites is heavy, oppressive, disconcerting rather than reassuring.
If Dubai ever goes down that path I won't be the only one leaving, I'm sure.
Links to the full articles:
Security firms say they will not arm personnel
No group worker visas for firms defaulting on salaries
A couple of good-news items particularly caught my eye. The first is:
No group worker visas for firms defaulting on salaries.
The story goes on to tell us that the Ministry of Labour is cracking down on rogue companies. If they don't pay salaries for more than two months they will not be allowed to apply for new visas for one year. They are also threatened with liquidation of their bank warranties.
"It's part of the strict measures being taken by the ministry against companies that do not pay salaries in time or have inadequate accommodation for the workers or medical facilities" said Humaid Bin Deemas, Assistant Under-Secretary.
The second is headed:
Security firms say they will not arm personnel
In the wake of the ram-raid at Wafi City there's a risk of over-reaction, and although I can't imagine that the government would allow non-police people to be armed, it's good to see that the security companies interviewed by Gulf News already seem to be taking a sensible approach. And they're honest about their industry.
One security comapny spokesman said: "The market is not willing to pay properly for security and as a result we do not hire trained professionals". We're all well aware of that of course, but it's nice to hear the industry say it.
Other quotes of note:
"...companies should emphasise recruiting of security guards who are heavily built, otherwise aggressive youngsters will be tempted to try to grab the gun of a lean security guard."
"...there is a strong chance of disgruntled employees misusing their weapons if they are not properly trained by the government on how to handle arms. It is workable if the guards are qualified. If they are not, then the weapons they are equipped with can be misused."
I'm sure I'm not alone in being horrified at the thought of armed guards all over the place, trained or not.
I'll post some photos another day of the situation in Cairo, where the security presence around hotels and tourist sites is heavy, oppressive, disconcerting rather than reassuring.
If Dubai ever goes down that path I won't be the only one leaving, I'm sure.
Links to the full articles:
Security firms say they will not arm personnel
No group worker visas for firms defaulting on salaries
Monday, April 16, 2007
Security? What security
A Wafi Mall jewellery store was hit yesterday evening by four masked gunmen who drove two cars into the mall, emptied the store and drove out again. The cars were found later, burnt out.
Apart from the fact that this is such a rarity in Dubai, to me there's an interesting little side issue.
We have 'security' everywhere - gated communities popping up all over, with the ubiquitous red & white barrier pole and a couple of 'security' guards in a little hut, many hotels have the same thing, every second shop in the malls seems to have a guard or guards, the hypermarkets have more 'security' guards standing at the check-outs than there are check-out staff, 'security' men wander around every mall, the banks have them standing around. There must be literally thousands of 'security' guards in Dubai.
It's window dressing.
They don't actually provide any security.
Example: In Mall of the Emirates one afternoon a scuffle broke out between two men. 'Security' guards nearby looked at the commotion...and walked quickly in the opposite direction. People have been told they're in a no-smoking area and should put out their cigarettes - they simply ignore the 'security' guard. I've been into gated communities without any reason to be there, simply to have a look around. I say officiously "I'm going over there" and point vaguely, so they let me through.
They're certainly not going to tackle armed bandits, nor would you expect them to.
Stand by for more construction work around all the malls, as they put in concrete bollards to stop ramraiders driving cars into the malls.
It's very sad, but inevitable I suppose, that Dubai is getting this kind of crime. One of the things I've always pointed out to visitors is there's been no need for security around the gold souk. Millions of dollars-worth of gold and jewellery just sitting there with, at most, one cop dozing on a seat.
If it does happen it's all new to the police, they have no experience of it so the bandits have a good chance of getting away. I guess we're going to get increasing preventative measures; let's hope that we do and that they keep Dubai as crime free and safe as it's been.
Apart from the fact that this is such a rarity in Dubai, to me there's an interesting little side issue.
We have 'security' everywhere - gated communities popping up all over, with the ubiquitous red & white barrier pole and a couple of 'security' guards in a little hut, many hotels have the same thing, every second shop in the malls seems to have a guard or guards, the hypermarkets have more 'security' guards standing at the check-outs than there are check-out staff, 'security' men wander around every mall, the banks have them standing around. There must be literally thousands of 'security' guards in Dubai.
It's window dressing.
They don't actually provide any security.
Example: In Mall of the Emirates one afternoon a scuffle broke out between two men. 'Security' guards nearby looked at the commotion...and walked quickly in the opposite direction. People have been told they're in a no-smoking area and should put out their cigarettes - they simply ignore the 'security' guard. I've been into gated communities without any reason to be there, simply to have a look around. I say officiously "I'm going over there" and point vaguely, so they let me through.
They're certainly not going to tackle armed bandits, nor would you expect them to.
Stand by for more construction work around all the malls, as they put in concrete bollards to stop ramraiders driving cars into the malls.
It's very sad, but inevitable I suppose, that Dubai is getting this kind of crime. One of the things I've always pointed out to visitors is there's been no need for security around the gold souk. Millions of dollars-worth of gold and jewellery just sitting there with, at most, one cop dozing on a seat.
If it does happen it's all new to the police, they have no experience of it so the bandits have a good chance of getting away. I guess we're going to get increasing preventative measures; let's hope that we do and that they keep Dubai as crime free and safe as it's been.
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