Wacky Races
I reckon you could stand at any Libyan junction for a day and watch at least 5 car crashes.
Wait a minute....
Why bother to sit beside the road and wait for the accidents when the accidents can come to you. Yes that's right, 2 hours after writing on here yesterday; I was involved in a car accident myself.
I was driving along the main road and pulled into the left hand lane to turn left. I started breaking a long way back and indicated a full 100m or so from the turning. We're in Libya, you have to do this.
Anyway, Nigel Abdul Mohammed Mansell comes bombing up behind me at about 40 mph, weaving in and out of traffic like most do here and realises he has run out of road. Conveniently there is a big white Hyundai in front of him to take the impact.
He smacks into the back of me at pace and reshapes the back of my car into a nice deep V-shape.
I get out the car, dash over to him, and in full Croydon Mode began teaching the lad a lesson in English swear words. Of course he doesn't have a clue what I'm saying so I have the indignity of ringing a Libyan and getting them to come down and swear for me.
Anyway, to cut a long story short. I indicated, broke slowly and left plenty of room on both sides of the car therefore; obviously, it is my fault he drove into the back of me.
Oh yes, did I mention that I am a white man.
Seriously, you will never understand this country until you have visited, and still I don't have a clue what's going on!
It was swiftly decided that I was in the wrong and, to avoid a lengthy wait at the cop shop we agreed to repair the damage and even give him and his friends a lift home. Especially when one developed a mysterious limp an hour later which alternated legs every now and then.
I was obviously fuming and to avoid any trouble I got as far away from those nobheads as possible.
Later our guy came back from the car body shop with the bill for repairs. He looked solemn as he told the Libyan company owner.
"Mir", he said.
"Mir sounds like a big number. I remarked to him.
"Yes", said the Libyan, shaking his head., "That is 100. 100 Dinars"
"100 Dinars to fix the whole thing?"
"Yes, one hundred Dinars and he will have his car back."
At this point I burst out laughing hysterically. The whole thing had suddenly reached a new level of ridiculousness and I could no longer be angry.....
100 Dinars is forty quid!
Wait a minute....
Why bother to sit beside the road and wait for the accidents when the accidents can come to you. Yes that's right, 2 hours after writing on here yesterday; I was involved in a car accident myself.
I was driving along the main road and pulled into the left hand lane to turn left. I started breaking a long way back and indicated a full 100m or so from the turning. We're in Libya, you have to do this.
Anyway, Nigel Abdul Mohammed Mansell comes bombing up behind me at about 40 mph, weaving in and out of traffic like most do here and realises he has run out of road. Conveniently there is a big white Hyundai in front of him to take the impact.
He smacks into the back of me at pace and reshapes the back of my car into a nice deep V-shape.
I get out the car, dash over to him, and in full Croydon Mode began teaching the lad a lesson in English swear words. Of course he doesn't have a clue what I'm saying so I have the indignity of ringing a Libyan and getting them to come down and swear for me.
Anyway, to cut a long story short. I indicated, broke slowly and left plenty of room on both sides of the car therefore; obviously, it is my fault he drove into the back of me.
Oh yes, did I mention that I am a white man.
Seriously, you will never understand this country until you have visited, and still I don't have a clue what's going on!
It was swiftly decided that I was in the wrong and, to avoid a lengthy wait at the cop shop we agreed to repair the damage and even give him and his friends a lift home. Especially when one developed a mysterious limp an hour later which alternated legs every now and then.
I was obviously fuming and to avoid any trouble I got as far away from those nobheads as possible.
Later our guy came back from the car body shop with the bill for repairs. He looked solemn as he told the Libyan company owner.
"Mir", he said.
"Mir sounds like a big number. I remarked to him.
"Yes", said the Libyan, shaking his head., "That is 100. 100 Dinars"
"100 Dinars to fix the whole thing?"
"Yes, one hundred Dinars and he will have his car back."
At this point I burst out laughing hysterically. The whole thing had suddenly reached a new level of ridiculousness and I could no longer be angry.....
100 Dinars is forty quid!
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