To rely on ‘nature’ or take a car
By Grace on Oct 1, 2007 in Family
There are three popular ways to get around Dubai:
1. Taxi - very cheap at Dhs 3 for the first 400 meters or so.
2. Bus - cheaper. My work is about 10 kilometers away and I only pay Dhs1.50
3. Car - also a cheap option since petrol is cheaper than water here.
** 1 Dirham = US$0.2724 **
The taxis are sometimes very hard to find and some drivers refuse passengers and speed away just like that with reasons like it’s prayer time. Sometimes, a taxi will come but will lock all the doors and instead open one window and ask for your destination first. If they don’t like going to where you want them to, they will just shake their head and disappear. Nice.
Dubai’s buses are, mainly because of traffic and endless road diversions due to the construction of the Dubai Metro, are irregular and very crowded (not until of late where a new bus came to my route). Also, men taking the bus are ok if they can fight for a seat but it is very uncomfortable for women who may feel being virtually stripped naked by 50 pairs of eyes.
The taxis and buses are unpredictable and the routes are limited so going out by car is the best way for many people. Driving in Dubai is always a challenge with the mental drivers who seem to have gotten their driving license in the jungles of Africa. We have survived this year’s summer with the help of the company car M’s boss provided but we lost it (when M changed jobs) before August ended while the temperatures were still soaring at the 40’s.
Right now the climate has gradually changed and the morning air is cooler. The new buses are coming on time so we planned to postpone buying for a car until the end of this year.
But as much as we are bearing with the public transport system, the idea of having our own transportation is very inviting especially now that the heat is gone, it would be nice to check out the beautiful beaches again and go see the sun set in the desert without having to care about the availability of transportation to take us back home.
Do you think you and your family would ever survive without a car?
We survive well on one car, but I wouldn’t want to try and manage without that one. We had two for years, but my husband decided he really prefers bike commuting and sold his car a few years ago. He now rides his bike to work year round (14 km each way, and yes, in the summer heat and in the winter cold and rain).
Robin | Oct 1, 2007 | Reply
Maybe we would. Survive, that is. I grew up without the luxury of a car, so I guess I could always adapt to having none. But my concern is my son ( and my parents’ concern too). Us parents, we always want the best for them, and shield them from “risks.” We used to take cabs whenever we go for doctor’s appointments, etc…
Also with a car, going from destination A to B is a lot easier. Plus, the time element is little or no concern at all. I’m just happy we have one functional vehicle to use everyday now.
zamejias | Oct 1, 2007 | Reply
I think it depends on your location.
Let’s just hope that the Dubai railways would be completed as scheduled… so that you could avoid being gawked at and those mental drivers.
I think taxi drivers there are worse than the taxi drivers in Pinas…
shiera | Oct 1, 2007 | Reply
Absolutely NOT! I think I’m just too spoiled. Public transportation would be my ultimate last resort and only if I HAVE to get somewhere now! *wink*
kailani | Oct 1, 2007 | Reply
how much is gas there? and is it liters or gallon?
SabineM | Oct 2, 2007 | Reply
zamejias - I also grew up without a car and proud that I can elbow all the crowd chasing the same jeepney! Just joking about the elbowing part but you are right, it is very convenient to have a car when we have kids. That is one of the reasons we decided to take a car, in case of emergency…
Grace | Oct 2, 2007 | Reply
Shiera - I completely agree. When I was a student in Japan, having a car in Tokyo would mean more discomfort than comfort because of the traffic, maintaining cost of the car and complex roads. If Dubai has the efficient public transport system like Japan, I would not be miserable without a car.
Grace | Oct 2, 2007 | Reply
I know we can make do with out a car. we i live we can walk to just about anything we may need, with the exceptions of clothing stores, but your basic needs can be met by walking. I think not having a car would complicate my life, but we would manage.
Carey | Oct 2, 2007 | Reply
My husband and I didn’t have a car for the first wo years of our marriage, but we were living in downtown Buenos Aires and the public transport was pretty good. Then we had only one car until I got pregnant with twins and we had to add the ubiquitous minivan! It’s all about lifestyle, choices, and public transport options!
SeaBird | Oct 2, 2007 | Reply
In 7 years of married life we’ve never had a car! But that’s because half of it was living near Tokyo where it’s a pointless waste of money to have a car, and the other half in England. In England we were first in central London for 2 years, and the public transportation can’t compare to Japan but is reasonably efficient. We sometimes wished we’d had a car in Cambridge but we didn’t know how long we’d be there and we were living centrally so we could walk everywhere. We’ll never get a car as long as we live in Japan. I get my chance to drive once a year when I go back to Canada to visit and rent a car. There it’s impossible to get around with one.
tanabata | Oct 2, 2007 | Reply
Hi Nat (tanabata) - I would not get a car too if I lived in Tokyo. I like Japan’e public transport system and I used it so much before. Anyway there’s always rent a car services if we want to go somewhere far by ourselves.
We did have a car in Nagano though because trains only come twice every hour!
Grace | Oct 3, 2007 | Reply
Hi Seabird - kids definitely changes everything. I love minivans anyway, it is probably the best car if you have kids, especially twins!
Grace | Oct 3, 2007 | Reply
Hi Carey - wow, that is a great lifestyle you have and a healthy one too. We could also walk around here in Dubai to most stores but the summer heat is too much to bear, especially for my little one.
Grace | Oct 3, 2007 | Reply