Travellers Be Careful

[Lachlan09]

To mods and fellow x-markers

This is not a post criticizing or opinionating in any way so please don’t remove, it is just advising any x-markers who might be going to Dubai (UAE) on vacation or business.

Reported at the weekend, an English couple (the man worked in Dubai and his girlfriend was visiting on holiday) have just been jailed for 1 month and will then be deported for kissing in public. The defence contended that the kiss was a peck on the cheek, which the couple thought harmless in Dubai. However, the complainant, a UAE woman, did not actually see the incident. It was her 2 year old daughter who saw the peck and told her mother who told police.

The man has also lost his job as a result.

Up to now, Dubai has been seen as a haven of tolerance toward foreigners and has even turned a blind eye to foreign visitors who have dressed inappropriately in cafes, restaurants and shopping malls (eg bikini tops with sarongs or tight shorts etc).

But now it’s changed. It is thought that since Dubai’s financial demise which has only been rescued by big money-aid from Abu Dhabi, the more conservative Abu Dhabians have told Dubai to clean up its act.

This jailing is no doubt an example of this.

So I advise anyone intending to go to Dubai – watch your P’s and Q’s at all costs – imagine you’re somewhere like Saudi Arabia and behave accordingly (though foreign women don't have to wear those black abayas etc in Dubai). Stay aware of local policy.

[Bigkahuna]

No snogging in Dubai!!!!!! Kind of makes you wonder how they keep the place populated.

[WClarkB]

No snogging in Dubai!!!!!! Kind of makes you wonder how they keep the place populated.

The generally accepted and received information about human reproduction to my limited knowledge suggests

that aint how its dun

[thescot]

Yeah, and i heard it's not the water either.

You'll never guess what really does do the trick.

[CDNSushi]

I'm just surprised how many people travel abroad with the expectation that the same rules and laws as they have back home apply elsewhere. Either that, or it seems that many people somehow think that they will be shown lenience or be held to a different standard because they are tourists from another country.

We see such incidents here in Japan too all the time. Had a Californian friend who tried to get his friend from back home to send him some weed by mail. Figured it wouldn't be a big deal because he successfully did it once when he was living in Korea. Of course he got caught, and yes, the consequences WERE pretty dire... (My wife visited him in jail numerous times. I didn't have a chance to as visiting hours were during my work hours and my wife's shifts were later than mine). As far as Asian countries go, you will not get executed for drugs here like in some other places, but by Western standard, drug laws are still VERY Draconian.

You would hope that a simple, "Just use common sense" rule would be sufficient to spare many tourists from such headaches, but I am constantly surprised at how much common sense seems to be lacking in so many tourists.

[Lachlan09]

You're correct. When in Rome etc. Must be careful.

Sometimes I think it is a lack of respect which causes these bloopers here.

For example I would never dream of showing frustration while driving. Visually or vocally showing your annoyance at careless or thoughtless local drivers will land you in jail here without question, then deportation. I know of an Englishman to whom that happened for showing bow-fingers to an aggressive local driver.

As for weed etc, Philippine in-bound flight boarding cards used to carry the cheery message in red “DEATH TO DRUG TRAFFICKERS".

Makes you feel all warm inside.

[Iain Robb]

Reminds me of the big sign in the airport in Bali: "Drug trafficking is punishable by death!" I told my traveling companion, "In the USA, there'd be a big trash can under that sign."

I did not at the time envision the attention that I would get from the customs inspector just because I was bringing a friend a large quantity of oregano that she had a hard time finding locally.

[wildrover]

Please note that common sense is culturally subjective.

-Sean

[CDNSushi]

For example I would never dream of showing frustration while driving. Visually or vocally showing your annoyance at careless or thoughtless local drivers will land you in jail here without question, then deportation.

So, does that mean erhabe is out of the question? I guess that's only in Saudi Arabia...


http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-4...abian-drifting

[Lachlan09]

Well, there are plenty of locals here weaving in and out of lanes at will, tail-gating and intimidating drivers out of the outer lane , swerving into other’s lanes with impunity etc, driving while on the cell-phone with infant on the knee, but Dubai is apparently much worse (if that’s possible !)