Gary Clement for The National
Gary Clement for The National
Gary Clement for The National
Gary Clement for The National

On the Money: Motorist sees the light after year of fine-free driving


Felicity Glover
  • English
  • Arabic

Eureka moments come at the most unexpected of times, but I guess that's why they're called eureka moments.

Take the Greek scholar Archi-medes, who is believed to have shouted "eureka" after stepping into his bath and noticing that the level of the water rose. This, according to Wikipedia, apparently caused something to click and he suddenly realised that the "volume of water displaced must be equal to the volume of the part of his body he had submerged".

An exciting discovery I am sure, but each to their own. The story continues with Archimedes leaping out of the bathtub and running naked through the streets of Syracuse, so eager was he to share his news.

We've all had our share of eureka moments, although probably not as important as that of Archimedes or even the gold prospectors of the 1800s, who were known to shout "eureka" whenever they stumbled on a fist-sized nugget of the precious metal. And who wouldn't.

Some eureka moments can make us rich, some can make us wiser, while some people have been known to undergo a massive sea change and turn their lives upside down because of them.

That sea change can also be known as the mid-life crisis, when men turn 50, spend their children's inheritance on clothes that should only be seen in Saturday Night Fever, hang some serious bling around their necks, undo the top three or four buttons of their shirts to show it off, buy a racy red sports car or a Harley-Davidson, start working out and do lots of other idiotic things that I won't be going into here. So perhaps that type of eureka moment doesn't really apply here. Instead, we'll call it a lapse in focus. A serious one.

I had a rare eureka moment last week, but, unlike Archimedes, I didn't celebrate by running naked through the streets of Abu Dhabi. That would get me arrested - or at the very least, be accused of going through a mid-life crisis. It's a good thing I'm not old enough for that. And that I'm a woman - and we all know that women don't experience mid-life crises, except through the eyes of their 50-plus husbands.

No, mine was a much quieter affair and nobody celebrated it - although for a moment there, I expected the big band to strike up and confetti to fall from the ceiling. To receive a set of steak knives, perhaps, or at least to see a light bulb go on above my head. I did get the light bulb, but I was the only one who saw it. And that's because it was my eureka moment.

So there I was, sitting in the very uninspiring Traffic and Licensing Department in Abu Dhabi, patiently waiting my turn to register my car and pay my annual traffic fines.

Last year, it cost me about Dh900 in fines, on top of the extremely reasonable Dh100 to renew my registration and Dh5 for that little sticker that goes on the licence plate at the back of the car.

Compared with some drivers in the UAE, Dh900 is a small price to pay for slightly breaking the speed limit a few times over the course of a year. And perhaps to go through an amber light here and there, although I don't really remember doing that.I got off pretty lightly, but I've known some people who have faced tens of thousands of dirhams in fines simply because they couldn't slow down or didn't want to wait at the lights for the next change.

This year? This is where it gets exciting (OK, I live a pretty boring life). Over the past year, I failed (the first time I'm happy to use that word in connection with myself) to incur any traffic fines. Seriously. I even asked the woman at the counter to repeat it. Twice.

And that's when I looked around, expecting the big band to strike up, the set of steak knives to be handed over, the manager to shake my hand and the confetti to fall from the ceiling.

Handing over the Dh100 to pay for my registration, that's when it hit me: why don't all drivers in the UAE drive safely?

I know that protecting our loved ones and saving lives on the roads by driving safely should be motivation enough. Clearly, it's not that way for many.

But the thought of saving some serious money may help some drivers to slow down, buckle up, strap their children in, put an end to that infuriating passive-aggressive bullying, stop running amber - and red - lights and giving way to pedestrians, just to name a few of the infractions I've witnessed on the roads here.

It's a no-brainer - and surely I can't be the only one who's realised this. Think what you could do with the money you save in traffic fines. Use it to pay next year's car insurance, take a holiday, invest it or put it towards your children's education. Even use it to pay for some driving lessons to learn the rules of the road. The options are limitless.

It's a novel idea, I know, but perhaps it will get through - eventually.

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
​​​​​​​Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
ICC Awards for 2021

MEN

Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)

T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)

ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)

Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)

WOMEN

Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)

ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)

T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Best Foreign Language Film nominees

Capernaum (Lebanon)

Cold War (Poland)

Never Look Away (Germany)

Roma (Mexico)

Shoplifters (Japan)

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MATCH INFO

Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')

Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')

Jawan
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Analysis

Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.

The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement. 

We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment. 

 

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League, last-16. first leg

Atletico Madrid v Juventus, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports

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TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

If you go

The flights

Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes. 

The car

Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals. A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.

The hotels

Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes. 

More info

To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com. Good guidebooks include the Lonely Planet guides to Northern California and Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest. 

 

The Al Barzakh Festival takes place on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm in the Red Theatre, NYUAD, Saadiyat Island. Tickets cost Dh105 for adults from platinumlist.net

THREE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
Seven%20Winters%20in%20Tehran
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

Empires%20of%20the%20Steppes%3A%20A%20History%20of%20the%20Nomadic%20Tribes%20Who%20Shaped%20Civilization
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKenneth%20W%20Harl%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHanover%20Square%20Press%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EPages%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E576%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Inside%20Out%202
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Match info

Karnataka Tuskers 110-3

J Charles 35, M Pretorius 1-19, Z Khan 0-16

Deccan Gladiators 111-5 in 8.3 overs

K Pollard 45*, S Zadran 2-18