The ‘unknown Jeddah residents F1 boss soldiers’ are jittery as deadly rejects today’s MERS virus bribery airborne gypsies4 spreads16 charges44 Max 39º Min 27º FREE www.kuwaittimes.net NO: 16146- Friday, April 25, 2014 MPs to grill Premier SEE PAGE 9 KUWAIT: (Left to right) Kuwaiti MPs Hussein Qwaiaan Al-Mutairi, Riyadh Al-Adasani and Abdulkarim Al- Kindari address the press at the National Assembly in Kuwait City yes- terday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat Local2 FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2014 Why you can’t drive a pickup truck in Kuwait Expats unaware of the law are often surprised when they head to a showroom looking for the latest pickup. By Nawara Fattahova those driving pickup trucks to have a special permission does not allow expats to register any pickup vehicle in to drive it. From 1983 until 2000, self-employed foreign- their name. So in order to buy a pickup I have to either o you have stuff to haul from a house? Do you ers could obtain this special permission to own a pickup register it in the name of a Kuwaiti citizen or if I am a want to buy a new bed but don’t want to pay the truck (often referred to locally as a 1.8) if they worked in partner in any business, then I can register it in the name Ddelivery charge? Are you thinking about starting a certain professions. But when the self-employment law of the company,” he told the Kuwait Times. small home catering service but need a pickup to trans- for expats was cancelled so were special permissions. As When he asked the salesman why, he was informed port tables, chairs and other items? Forget it. If you’re an of 2000, all foreigners are forbidden from driving the that the Interior Ministry prohibits foreigners from own- expatriate in Kuwait and need to have something hauled pickup truck in Kuwait and cannot be issued the special ing pickup trucks. “The salesman said that some people or moved, you’ll have to hire a half lorry or ask a Kuwaiti license, explained Lt Colonel Nawaf Al-Hayaan, Head of told him it may be to avoid expats transporting people friend. Do-it-yourself moving is not only difficult, but it’s Public Relations at the Traffic Department of the Ministry illegally. Although I think that it’s much easier to trans- illegal for expats in Kuwait. Foreigners are forbidden by of Interior. port them in a minibus or vanette,” Tony added. law from driving a pick-up without a special license. According to Al-Hayaan, the reason is simple. Pickup Indeed, vanettes may be bought and driven by expa- Article 28 B of the traffic law issued in 1983 requires trucks are used to transport people and goods and for- triates and are often used in illicit transport services eigners should not be doing either on their own. “When along with sedans. In some areas, like Jleeb Al- the law was issued in early 1980s, it was popular in Shuyoukh, smaller pickups and vanettes are commonly Kuwait to use pickup for illegal transportation. So, this used for illicit transport. Drivers will block a main road, law was issued in order to eliminate this phenomena; the stopping in front of busses and forcing the bus passen- same thing applies to lorries and camions (semi trucks),” gers to get off the bus and pay again to ride in the illicit Al-Hayaan explained. pickup or vanette in order to get home fast. Kuwait Expats unaware of the law are often surprised when Times has previously reported on this ‘traffic extortion’ they head to a showroom looking for the latest pickup. but it continues. Tony, an Indian who has lived in Kuwait for more than a With regard to trucks, the law remains in place. decade, had planned to buy a pickup as a gift to himself Salesmen from three different car agencies confirmed (his wife drives a sedan). But when he visited a showroom the same information on the banning of selling pickup and asked the salesman to give him details on a truck he vehicles to expats (to be used in Kuwait). The salesmen liked, the salesman immediately warned him off. “I was advised expats interested in driving a pickup in Kuwait to surprised by his response. He told me that the Kuwait law register it on the name of any Kuwaiti or a company. Local FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2014 Conspiracy Theories The evil you can’t live without By Badrya Darwish [email protected] have nothing against the advance- Sometimes I look at the disadvan- send each other messages through dif- online bullying and even torment that ment of technology. I am using it tages and negativity of this revolution. ferent means. People congratulate or end with suicide. Imyself every day. Gone are the days Technology has its pluses and also express condolences through mobile Don’t tell me that there is a system of when the mobile was only for the elite minuses. The minuses are increasing phones. Every member of the family is blocking sites. Parents cannot block and ultra-rich who boasted carrying a nowadays, especially for the young gen- busy with their own mobile life, sites. Nowadays kids are far smarter briefcase around with them and a heavy erations. Go to hashtag Kuwait and you Facebook, WhatsApp groups, etc. than adults when it comes to using a mobile phone. This is how it started in will get my drift. Check Instagram clips Even if the family meets, everyone is computer. They can break any code or the Arab world. Then they got rid of the of girls blowing kisses to strangers and holding their phone and following up system. briefcase but we still had to carry a 1- talking nonsense and vulgar matters. Instagram and messaging. Even when Modern technology to me is the evil kilo phone. This kind of behavior was considered friends meet for lunch in a café, they are you have to live with because we can’t It is beautiful and amazing. It is so taboo, at least in our part of the world, not talking because everyone is busy on live without it. nice to have a nice phone that I can slip which is a bit more conservative than their phone. I wonder why they even @BadryaD in my jeans’ pocket and a wireless head- the West. bothered to meet in the first place. set behind my ear. Now I can talk to the If you are a grownup and you are Facebook removed the world privacy whole world. Bless the soul of Steve responsible, it is OK. But the young gen- from the dictionary. People post every- Jobs, the guy who did not live to see the eration is going on a negative path thing for the world to see. They think advancement which took place with his starting with WhatsApp, Facebook etc. this is the new fad - to hang dirty linen. inventions. Now, every minute there is These serve our communication needs On the other hand, young innocent some new app or tech gadget. There is but hurt us too, influencing our social users could be lured by predators - Instagram, Twitter and many other and communication skills. People do regardless if they are girls or boys. We beautiful apps. not meet each other anymore. We just have heard about many incidents, Local FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2014 4 The ‘unknown soldiers’ are today’s airborne gypsies TRAINING DAY: A file photo hanging in Kuwait Airways Training Centre shows part of the training that pilots and cabin crews undergo.—Photo by Joseph Shagra By Velina Nacheva he baby was born in the skies, en route to Bombay, and was granted lifetime free tickets from Kuwait Airways. This is one of the most viv- Tid memories of Fahad Karam, senior cabin crew in-charge at Kuwait Airways. Karam assisted the cabin crew with the delivery of the baby of the Indian mother over Omani airspace - making the infant an Omani citizen as per international law. Being ready to deliver a baby and to handle any kind of emergency, even a dying passenger, or to hold the hand of someone who has phobia of flying are part and parcel of the cabin crew experience. We are the unknown soldiers on any flight, says a veteran cabin crew member from Kuwait Airways who has many years of flight services as cabin crew and as a supervisor. Nasser Al-Jaber, 45, a group leader who has had long experience as a cabin crew member with Kuwait Airways explains that the job of the flight attendants and airhostesses is multidimensional and extremely important. They are doctors, nurses, babysitters, air police, life-savers, psychologists and LANDING IN WATER: A mock up of a plane in the train- ing centre shows part of the training that prepares the cabin crew for landing in water Local FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2014 5 sky marshals, he said. During Al-Jaber’s many years of experience in the air, he has undergo training once every six months. “Every six months we have an exam on seen it all. There have been passengers trying to cook their meals on gas cookers how to deal with an emergency situation,” he explained, pointing at a simulator in inside the cabin or others who come up with very creative tricks in order to light a the Kuwait Airways Training Centre. At the heart of the training centre is a mock up cigarette regardless of our warnings, he explained.