BEFORE YOU READ THIS POST

would be helpful to go back to my post of 6 January 2009 - "You Know You've Lived in the Middle East Too Long When" - look at #9. Before you begin will give away the good part - everyone is OK.

Feb. 9, 2009 - our car still in the shop. After a week and a half they haven't gotten the part to fix the power steering line! We are driving a rental car - a small sedan - renting a car is very expensive here.

Feb 10, 2009 - Andy and Grant are on the way to a Boy Scout meeting when they are rear-ended by a Qatari. Classic case - guy in a white Ford mustang comes up behind them in the left lane at Warp 3. Do you move to the right lane - or will this starship try to go around you? Starship Mustang rear ends them. Grant's back is hurt. Andy calls an ambulance, me and the Embassy nurse - who tells Andy to have Grant taken to Aspetar (orthopedic hospital - American Doctors - very good). I get a friend to drive Erin and me to Aspetar - who tells me they won't receive him (no nuerosurgeon on duty that night) and that he should go to Hamad Hospital. I have Aspetar call Embassy nurse who agrees - take him to Hamad. Friend drives us to Hamad. I am in cell phone contact with Andy - he and Grant are already there. I go in the entrance for Females (yes, separate entrances, we can't let the boys and girls sit together in a public waiting room) and they tell me I have to go over to the Male side (they actually have 2 Hospitals - one for boys and one for girls). No one at entrance can tell me where my boys are. This is the public hospital - they are bringing in foreign workers with horrific injuries. Very few Qataris here. I walk into the Emergency Room treatment area and start looking for my boys. I walk through treatment rooms, peek around curtains, no one challenges me, stops me, or even seems to notice me. (Because I am white I can pretty much do what I want in a place like this.) Bad scene, dirtly bandages, blood on the floor in one area. Finally I find my boys, Grant is sitting in a chair. They brought him in on a backboard, asked him if he could move his limbs, then put him in a chair. Shortly after I arrive they put him in a bed. Embassy nurse arrives. Dr. on duty doesn't want to do an X-Ray - she tells him to do it. X-ray is done, all is OK, we get Advil and go home (no charge for any of this).

Feb. 11, 2009: Grant is sore and stays home from school with an ice pack. Andy and the Qatari guy who hit him have a 2 pm appointment at the police station to give their statements. Andy goes with an Embassy representative - the Qatari guy doesn't show up . Andy is told to go back at 5 PM - he goes back with the Embassy Rep. Andy is told he is at fault - is being cited for "Impeding Traffic." Andy laughs, Policeman does not. The fine is 250 QR (about $68.50) with no points on his license (points are put on your license for speeding, running a red light, driving while talking on a cell phone, etc;). Embassy Rep advises paying it - could go to court but will lose against a Qatari. Andy pays fine and gets police report.
Later that same day - I go with Andy to return rental car. Agent looks at police report and asks, "The report says the other car rear ended yours - how can it be your fault?" Andy tells him "other car" was a Qatari. Agent nods and smiles - that explains it all. Get the bad news that since the report faults Andy we have to pay the 1,000 QR deductible on the insurance ($274). Incredibly agent asks if we want to rent another car (after we just wrecked one of theirs?). We decline. This agency doesn't have SUV's and, after what has happened, I refuse to drive a sedan. We rent a Nissan X-Trail from Budget - costs twice as much as the sedan which means we are now paying 400 QR per day for a car ($110) - I don't care.

Feb. 12 - Grant goes to school. Get the good news that the part for our Trailblazer has arrived, and our car will be ready on Saturday, Feb. 14.

Feb. 14 - Car repair shop doesn't call and doesn't answer phone.

Feb. 15 - Car repair shop finally answers phone - says their computer system is down and they can't check status of car - call back in one hour. One hour later they don't answer the phone. Two hours later they state system still down - call back in one hour - Andy yells at them. One hour later Andy and I go to the shop - can see computers working. Are told (and this is a direct quote) "we are trying to find your car right now so we can start working on it." Repair manager says car will be done tomorrow. I lose it - yell that they have had the part since last Thursday, said it would be done on Saturday and THE CAR NEEDS TO BE FIXED TODAY! Repair manager gets the big boss who checks on car and says car will be ready at 8:30 that evening.

8:30 PM - go to repair shop - are told car will be ready in a few minutes. One hour later car is actually ready and we drive it home.

Feb. 16 - return rental SUV. Grant had to take some Advil this morning but seems to be doing much better. Hopefully he we be back to completely normal very soon. Our "Qatar Tolerance Level" (QTL) is very low.