Today, I was told about the traffic laws in Doha. There is a zero tolerance for any drinking and driving. Wahoo! I won't have a problem with that. Speeding even 5km (which is less than 5mph) over the limit will net you a ticket. Running a red light will also net you a ticket. Not enough police to catch you? Technology to the rescue! Major intersections are equipped with cameras to catch you. A stale green light is up ahead so you speed up to make the light, right? Well, that same camera just caught you going over the limit to get through the light so you get a ticket too. Okay, so you got a ticket. No big deal. You'll just pay your ticket and it will be done and over with. So how much will your ticket cost? Two thousand dollars, U.S. dollars. Don't choke on your wallet. That was written correctly, $2,000 USD. Slow and steady wins the race (and keeps money in my pocket) in my book.
With those cameras, how do you know if you got caught or not? You go online and check. That's really convenient! Seriously, how cool is that?? And if you didn't bother to check before you left the country for vacation, the immigration people at the airport will not let you leave the country until you see the police in the next office and pay your ticket. Pretty good way to collect your revenue if you ask me.
In all my preparations to come here, I'd heard that Qatar is 'one of the richest countries' in the world. Well, I thought that was due to oil. It turns out that their wealth is found in natural gas instead. It is turned into liquid natural gas and that seems to be what will make Qatar THE richest country in the world in the next few years. Apparently, there is so much natural gas underneath Qatar (a country the physical size of Connecticut and the population of Providence, RI) that if all of the natural gas were available at once, it could power the entire US for 100 years. Absolutely amazing.
As for me, I'm dead tired and falling asleep as I type. So it's off to be for me. See ya later.
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