BUSTED!!

Hey friends,

Today for the first time, I have had a brush with the law. Never in my life, never ever, have I ever crossed onto the wrong side of the law. I have always maintained my sense of doing good, being it not littering to not breaking the red light while driving. However, today, I saw the ugly side of what it would be like on the other side of the law.

In Dubai, it is illegal for drivers to use their cars as private taxis. With the legal metered taxis somewhat expensive for longer journeys, especially if you have to wait because the meter still runs, and the buses never on schedule, with infrequent numbers on different routes, many people have chosen to make business by using their cars as taxis. It is illegal, and I know that. In fact, just last week, I was discussing it with my friend about this illegal taxi business.

Well today after work, my colleague and I walked over to the plaza where we would wait for the bus. However, he was in a hurry and was willing to take the sharing taxi, and while waiting for the bus, an Indian fellow approached us, as if he were some undercover agent. “Rolla?” was all he said. My colleague, who is also an Indian, said yes, and soon we were walking over to his car, all the while knowing that I am supporting this Indian man do something illegal. Just as we all sat in, with me behind the driver, an arab guy in his early 30s, wearing jeans, blue t-shirt and a baseball cap, came running to the driver’s side of the car and opened up the door.

BUSTED!!

He flashed his police badge, and asked for the driver to come out. I stayed put. I looked at my colleague. What will happen to us? I didn’t know. I am guilty too, like an accomplice. I started thinking of all the lies: I didn’t know it was illegal; I am new here; I wasn’t aware of anything; my friend led me into this etc. The cop opened my side of the door and asked me and the three others in the car to come out. My colleague opened the door from the other side and sort of ran away. He walked away briskly, and all I could think was “thanks for ditching me!!”

The cop took the three of us to his car, and asked for our name and number. He also asked for ID, or Labor Card, and I said I have none. So he just took my name and number and politely said, “you are free to go.” He also noted down the names and number of the other two Indians, but held on to their ID cards. The driver, who was going to take us originally, was asked to bring his car to the side. He would be fined most probably.

Honestly, I was a little scared, so much so, I called my friend up and asked her what would happen to someone who is caught using illegal taxis. She reassured me that at the most you would be fined, but that would happen on the spot, otherwise, they would call you up and ask you to testify against the driver who attempted to use his private car as a public transport.

I hope everything works out and that I don’t receive a phone call from the police asking me to come down to the station. God, I feel so weird. To top it all off, I could not believe the audacity my colleague had to leave me there all alone, since he was the one who initiated the idea of going in a sharing taxi. I have learnt my lesson well, and I swear to you all that I will never use an illegal taxi ever again in this country.

Mansur