Mother of bueracracy

Try not to have an accident in Qatar!

Mother of bureaucracy

Piak! Something hit my car. And it was loud!

I looked around and could not see any damage. The next day, I saw a teeny scratch on my windscreen. One day after, it grew into a crack. And on the next, the crack grew to a good 10 inches and continue to grow. Time to change the windscreen. And welcome to bureaucracy land.

1. Call up insurance company - Sorry, please go make a Police report
2. Drove over to main Traffic Police station at Medinat Kalifa - Sorry, go to your municipal Police
3. Google for the nearest municipal office and visit the municipal Police - Sorry, go to the main traffic Police
   (XXX, didn't I just came from there?  A passerby said... try the traffic Police located at a side building)
4. Went over to the traffic Police building. Bingo... take a number
5. Took a number. Went over to the counter. Sorry, we don't speak English
6. Waited for an interpreter to come over to understand why I need to make a report
7. Okay, we'll make a report for you. But it'll take 5 days because we need to investigate the cause of the accident
   (XXX, are you going to catch the flying stone that caused the crack!)
8. I can't wait that long. My car is up for permit renewal? Can you expedite?
9. Sure, go see the Captain over there.
10. Went over to the Captain. Told me to wait while he entertained his friend one after another
11. Finally, it was my turn. Yah... pay QR100. We'll give you a letter straightaway.
    (XXX... A one minute task but I had to wait 20 mins for him to greet and kiss all his buddies)
12. Call insurance company. Call the car repair shop. We have no windscreen stock. Please wait 10 days.
13. Will insurance cover for substitute car?
14. Yes, insurance will pay for substitute car but you have to make your own arrangements
15. After 10 days, call up workshop. How many days will I need to have a rental car?
16. We don't know. We're still waiting for the windscreen to arrive
    (Wait a minute.... didn't some-one called me from the workshop to say it has arrived?)
17. Apparently no one knows for sure. Why don't you arrange the rental car as long as possible?
18. Workshop make a few calls and finally realised windscreen had indeed arrived but shipped to wrong workshop. 
19. Call up AA. Can you send the car for repair? Sure we can.
20. AA picked up the car. Send to workshop. Workshop called back. Where's your Police report?
21. Didn't AA have a copy? Yes, but we need the original.
22. Drove to workshop. Pass over the original Police report.
23. Workshop starts work. Bill estimate came. Call up insurance company.
24. Okay, insurance will pay half.
    (XXX... What do you mean... our insurance is comprehensive. Yes but this is Qatar, we only pay for half the part cost.)
25. Alright, alright, please start the replacement. How long does it take? I'm still on rental car.
26. 3 days but we need to call to confirm again.
27. Waited 3 days but no calls from the workshop. Call up workshop. Please come tomorrow.
28. Went to workshop and car is ready. 
29. Drove to return rental car. 
30. Call up insurance company. Can you reimburse the car rental? Sure, please go to XXX building in another part of town. Can't you do a bank transfer or cheque? Sorry, we can't.
31. Went to the building. Spend 1/2 hr to submit paperwork. Spend another 10 mins at the cashier to collect the cash
32. Finally, all done. Drove super cautiously. Don't want another round of bureaucracy!

Mother of all floods

Credit: DohaNews website

Raindrop keep falling on my head!

Residents in Qatar woke up to mass flooding across Doha on 25 November 2015. Qatar saw rain in one night what it typically received over one whole year. Although it was light rain over 4 hours, it was enough to put the country into a flooded gridlock.

Roads all over Doha were flooded and traffic came to a standstill. Schools closed and messaged parents to collect their children from school. There were reports of leakages and flooding in homes, petrol stations, road tunnels, schools, shopping malls, hotels and even the brand new Hamad International Airport.

Regular life came to a standstill. Everyone was affected. People could not go to work, students did not make it in time for examinations, parents were torn between going to work and rushing to pick up their kids, hotels lost their 5-star reputation with water leaking into guest rooms, swanky new condominiums had to put up with water rushing down their elevators in social media and worst of all, news of the brand new US$14 billion airport with leaking roof and wet floors were reported across international newspapers.

The after effect of the flood lingered for a few days. Roads remained muddy. Abandoned cars dotted the city. Some basement car parks remained water-logged.

Credit goes to the civil authorities as Police were out on the road full force to direct traffic, civil contractors with water pumps were out pumping water away and essential services such as hospitals and ambulance services were operating despite being affected by the flood as well.

Questions were immediately asked across social media, newspapers and coffee shops; what if the rain was more persistent? Of if rain occur again immediately before the roads were cleared? What if this happened during the Fifa World Cup in 2022 since the tournament has been shifted to the rainy December period as it is too hot for the Summer season?

Many questions. But at this point, no one has an answer.