An Englishman in Dubai

Last Friday I made the rather unenviable to trip to Dubai International airport to pick up one of my friends coming for a weeks stay in Dubai. As anyone who has been to the airport to meet someone arriving on one the many flights getting in at around midnight, it is busy. Last Friday was no exception and the long queue to get up the ramp to the terminal was a sure sign that I was in for an interesting ride.

Everyone wants to park as close to the terminal as possible. I avoid taking the ramp down to departures and head up to arrivals where there is a short stay car park. However, with the building of the metro the one I usually park in had been closed and I was ushered over to the adjoining one. I joined the queue to enter and quickly realised it was a bad idea but with a car behind me so I was committed.

I made it to the car park entrance and grabbed the ticket, the barrier raised and I had to wait as the traffic ahead was not going anywhere fast. After about ten minutes we edged forward ever so slightly, as we did I was aware that the barrier was still raised menacingly above the Hummer. A little more creeping forward and I heard that noise. That noise you knew that might be coming but thought if you ignored it might never come. Sure enough the barrier had come down and had given the hummer a good whack.

Left with little choice I nudged forward a few more inches and then another thud. Looking through the mirrors I could not see anything. I nudged forward a final time to be greeted by a large cracking sound. “Oh Dear” is what should have gone through my mind – I jumped out our the car and looked to see that the barrier had lodged itself between the car and spare wheel and now looked liked a poorly fitted spoiler adorning my car. I did the walk of shame and removed the barrier from the car in front of everyone. I could see more than one car laughing hard at my predicament. I had a short chat with the parking attendant who had witnessed the whole thing and he told me not to worry about it as it had happened before. I was relieved by this and that the hummer had escaped unscathed, the same could not be said about the barrier.

Hummer – 1

Cark park Barrier – 0

After all of this I then spent the next 30 minutes crawling around a small car park looking for a spot and when I did find one it was impossibly small leading for an interesting contortion to exit the vehicle. With nerves and temper frayed I went into the airport to find my friend

As soon as the metro is finished I will be leaving the car at home to go to the airport.