rage

I've been having a hard time lately. I even muttered the words, "I hate this place" a few times this week.  That is so not me. I know that the root of my unhappiness has nothing to do with Bahrain since I firmly believe "wherever you go, there you are," but I've been having location envy this week. Looking at pictures of my family on vacation in Carmel Valley made me wish I were there, harvesting organic vegetables at Earthbound Farms, going to the base chapel made me miss my 29 Palms church family, and being surrounded by nothing but dirt and concrete made me dream of the beautiful beaches and mountains of Oman.

But I will keep saying that things are fine here and keep telling myself that I will grow to love it here. Fake it till you make it, right?

One of the things that doesn't make it easy to love it here is all my pent up road rage. You would not believe the amount of jackassery that happens on the roads here. A lot of it has to do with the Saudi influence and their mentality of entitlement. There were irritations on the roads in Oman, we joked that we couldn't go anywhere without either laying on the horn or slamming on our brakes, but in Oman it was general incompetence that was the source of the bad driving. Infinitely more aggravating is the "me first" virtual middle fingers that are offered every city block. Like the guy who as we were sitting in a traffic back-up 20 cars deep, hopped the curb, drove one car length on the sidewalk and then hopped back down to cut in front of the car in front of him. Really?! That one car was holding you back, but you don't mind the 19 others ahead of you?

Or the people who think it's cool to pull up at the stoplight in the right lane and then make a U-Turn in front of everyone turning left because they don't want to wait in the line of cars that is in the left hand turn lane. Or the morons who think the traffic lights don't apply to them because they're tired of waiting so they drive into and block the intersection, effectively keeping anyone from going anywhere. Or the people who park in the lane of traffic and don't care that it holds up traffic behind them. (They really do park and leave!) The polite ones use their flashers at least.

Like this guy -- he parked and left so everyone else has to wait for oncoming traffic to clear so we can swing wide around him.  

Another lazy parallel parker. At least he gave it a half-hearted attempt.

I don't know why those drivers couldn't have just parked on the sidewalk like everyone else. :eye roll:

See -- traffic is green for those people driving left to right in front of me, but they have to weave in and out of the people who are completely blocking the intersection. :sigh:

And this winner, trying to squeeze in, practically kissing the car next to him. 

This?

Is what these guys are arguing about. I wouldn't be happy about someone ripping the bumper off my BMW either.  

Lady pulls out, on her cell phone, nowhere to go, but blocking everyone. Yep, sounds about right.

Enjoy your civilized roads while I work on containing my rage . . .