WEEKEND ROUNDUP - "D"

STARTS WITH "D" - DANGEROUS - THE CHILD STICKING UP OUT OF THE SUNROOF OF THIS MOVING CAR IS ABOUT 6 OR 7 YRS OLD

A FAVORITE - DOOR

DELIGHTFUL - DESSERT!

LINKING TO - THE WEEKEND ROUNDUP

 

Jeddah Security

Schools, government buildings, and residential compounds in Saud Arabia all have high security measures in place.  Many appear to be fortresses, with 24 hour armed guards, barriers and gates, tall surrounding cement walls topped with barbed wire coils, visitor IDs required, and camera surveillance. 

Jeddah Closed Shops - and Trust

Here in the land of Islam, it is not unusual to see small shops closed up with mere fabric draped over the entryway or the products, instead of some kind of lock and key set up. 

Theft is not very common here and that might be because of the threat of stiffer punishments for breaking the law.  Many small shopowners trust that their wares will be left alone and remain undisturbed until they open back up. 

Jeddah Al Balad Door

I have a thing for doors - always have.  I find them intriguing and mysterious and I always wonder what's behind them.  I love everything about this photo - the green color of the door and the wrought iron design on it.  The interesting shadow falling across the top part of the door. The half circle shaped air vent above the door and that it's not centered, throwing off the balance.  The exposed electric wires above the door and the tubing on the right side.  And the small plaque with Arabic script at the very top of the photo.  Pictures are like visual poetry.

Architectural Details - Roshan

Here is another pic of the roshan window coverings in Al Balad / Old Jeddah.  This one is taken from below, looking up.  Roshan provide for privacy and air circulation, two very important functions here in Saudi Arabia.  The clumsy and dangerous electrical wiring in the old part of the city has been the cause of many fires, destroying many of the oldest structures of Jeddah. 

SkyWatch - Hanging out

Once women can drive here in Saudi Arabia in June 2018, I'm hoping that child safety might improve through the use of infant car seats and seat belts.  My thought is that if a young mother is driving her small children around, she will realize that the kids need to be safely buckled in.  As it is now, babies often sit on Mom's lap.  Actually I've even seen babies sitting on Dad's lap while he drives too...  Saudi women who have never driven before will be required to take driving classes and my hope is that child safety is one of the topics that will be incorporated into the classes.


To  visit MORE friendly skies around the world, fly on over to SKYWATCH  where you’ll find beautiful skies posted by bloggers all over the world.

Our World: Jeddah Kid in Sun Roof

One thing that really irks me is when I see children riding in cars in Jeddah who are not safely buckled in to car seats or even seat belts.  It is a common sight to see small children standing up sticking out the sun roofs of cars, hanging out the windows, or sitting on Dad's lap as he drives.  Certainly in this day and age, parents here should be aware how dangerous these things are. I've also complained about seeing really young boys actually driving in Saudi Arabia too, while women were forbidden to drive (this is to change in June 2018).  All of the links I have cited in this text are from previous posts with photographic proof that I have made highlighting these serious societal and safety problems over the past several years. This continues to be a huge problem in Saudi Arabia with sadly no end in sight.




Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.





Post Links:

Women Can't Drive Here but Children Can!

The Dangerous & Crazy Streets of Jeddah

Driving Madness

In the Driver's Seat

Buckled Up Kids? Nope!

Jeddah - Construction Site

This is a typical apartment building construction site in Saudi Arabia.

SklyWatch: Sun Roof

I apologize for the poor quality of this photo, but it's really difficult to get a good shot of something like this here in Saudi Arabia.  General safety concerns really haven't impacted Saudi Arabia as they have in many other countries yet.  Most Saudi children are not buckled into seatbelts and smaller kids are not placed in car seats.  Many younger kids sit on dad's lap as he drives, or on mom's lap in the passenger seat.  And it is common to see children riding in cars standing up and sticking out of the sun roof or hanging out the windows.  If an accident occurs and the child is injured or killed, it is considered to be God's will, not parental carelessness.


To  visit MORE friendly skies around the world, fly on over to SKYWATCH  where you’ll find beautiful skies posted by bloggers all over the world.

Our World: Unsafe Work Practises

There are hundreds of iron works shops around Jeddah, all producing things like railings, fences, doors, and window coverings.  It is rare to see workers using any type of safety equipment, like safety goggles or gloves or even proper work shoes. 

Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.

Our World: Jeddah's Abandoned Vehicles

In many of the empty lots in the middle of the city, one can see lots of abandoned vehicles.  All over the streets of Jeddah, you can see disabled and abandoned vehicles.  This problem has existed for many years.  The number of these unsightly cars increases every time it rains.  Because of poor city planning and no drainage system, there is severe flooding when it rains.  People die.  It's a mess.  Thank goodness it doesn't rain very often here, but even so, the city shouldn't flood and people shouldn't die every time it rains.

See the cat paw prints on the abandoned vehicle in the center?  Who knows how long this car has been left sitting there, taking up valuable parking space in a city where parking is always such a problem.  Building continues at a rapid pace here but parking always seems to be an after thought.  According to this recent newspaper article, more than 17,000 abandoned vehicles were removed from the city streets of Jeddah in 2015, yet it continues to be an enormous problem. 

This vehicle has been parked in this residential area just one block away from a major mall for a very long time.  It's covered in dust, has broken windows, and flat tires.  I found dozens of articles about the problem of abandoned vehicles in Jeddah, dating back to 2009.  One of the more interesting articles was from January 2012 and featured abandoned luxury cars like Rolls Royce and Bentleys.

   


Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.

Our World: Saudi Arabia: Buckled Up Kids? Nope!

One thing that still upsets me after 8 years in the kingdom is the lack of safety implementations.  For example, cars are equipped with seat belts but they are rarely used.  It is not unusual to see children bouncing around inside the vehicles or hanging out the windows.  

This already bashed in car had three small children in the back seat, none of whom were buckled in.  If there is an accident and one of them is injured or killed, fault will not lie with the driver/father who didn't ensure that his children were buckled in.  What will be said is "It was God's will."

Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.

Driving Madness

I complain all the time about the fact that I cannot drive here in Saudi Arabia because I am a woman.  This fact is especially maddening when I see such careless and dangerous driving habits every time we are out, such as reckless driving, little boys behind the wheel, children not buckled in and hanging out the windows, and many other crazy infractions too numerous to mention. 

This photo shows something I might see on a typical day on the streets of Jeddah.  Yes, that is a small child's head sticking up out through the open sun roof of the vehicle.  I get so angry when I see things like this, but it happens all the time.  Just yesterday I saw a big SUV with several children riding on TOP of the roof of the moving car.  I was so stunned I didn't have a chance to get my camera ready - otherwise I would have posted that picture for you too.  * sigh *

Our World: Baby on Board

Babies are so precious in Saudi Arabia - and that's why it's so hard to believe when I see sights like this every single day.  Most Saudis do not use seat belts and most do not buckle in their kids or use car seats for younger children. In this country women are not allowed to drive either.  So it probably comes as no surprise to learn that Saudi Arabia ranks very high on the worldwide list for traffic accidents and fatalities. 




Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.