Getting Around

Day 10: My First Cab Ride in Kuwait – September 18th, 2011

On Sunday, September 18th I shared a cab with John (English 9) and Gloria (5th grade) and we went to the Sultan Center after school. It’s a grocery store located in Salmiya.

This was my first experience in a cab in Kuwait, and man was it an experience! Before you get in the cab, you tell them where you want to go, and what price you’ll pay. You have to be careful, because they try to overcharge you. The interesting part is that they usually have a meter, and the price you agree on is always higher than the meter. It’s like they’re getting a built-in tip up front, even if they’re terrible!

John told the cab driver where we wanted to go. The cabbie said okay, so we got in. We’re not even a block down the road when he says, “How you get there?”

Seriously. He had no idea how to get there even though we had said where we wanted to go before we got in. So he pulled over and we got out. We had to walk back down the road to try and catch another one.

Let me tell you about this road: it’s an off-shoot of the highway, and is quite busy. Always. The cab drivers will just pull over and pick you up, no matter who is behind them! It’s quite nerve-wracking! A cab saw us and pulled over next to a partial concrete-barrier. We jumped the barrier, told him where we wanted to go, and he took us there. He said 1.5 KD, even though we wanted to spend 1. Whatever, we just got in because he actually knew where we wanted to go!

We got there and split up to do our shopping. John and Gloria went one way (they’re married, by the way) and I went another. I had fruit and veggies to get, not to mention an artichoke for the next day’s lesson!

When we were in line waiting to pay, the husband of our Assistant Principal was in line. He offered us a lift home (he’s British). Hooray for that, because I wasn’t sure I was up for another cab ride!


Note to Mom, Dad & Robin: I saw the Hard Rock Café! It’s in Salmiya. I’ll be back, but not quite yet!