Musings of a cynical optimist
Her majesty queen Rania has adopted a highly significant campaign to lower traffic casualties. The campaign even has a catchy name, kafa, meaning enough. I will not go into why Jordanians would be more interested in the Egyptian movement with a similar name.
posted by Khalaf @ 6:43 PM
14 comments
Young enough to think he can make a difference
Old enough to know that he should probably know better.
Rich enough to afford the time
Poor enough to feel the need to get involved.
Optimistic enough to feel that killing a mosquito will make a difference
Realistic enough to know that it won't
He writes this blog to say what many people are thinking and saying, but don't bother to write down.
Maybe people think that much of it is so obvious, that it wouldn't add much to document.
I hope that it will help to understand what many people in Jordan feel inside, in case anybody cares.
14 Comments:
lol, that's so true man! Everybody I know has a story about the royal motorcades, although I thought when it's the King or the Queen they usually just close down the road.
Whoa, I think....(self-censoring)...
Stifling a giggle. I don't mind the big royal motorcades, as you can see the traffic parting behind you. It's those royal play-dates that get me, only two black Suburbans almost look like crazy Saudis prematurely in Amman.
But I am glad to see a beautiful face on the band wagon. :)
Why don't they just use helicopters? Its not like these motorcades give a feeling of 'common touch' since no one can see who's inside and they no longer stop at traffic lights like they used to.
Ironically, there is always some guy with sunglasses in the back seat of the black Suburban flashing a "Stop" sign at you as they run you off the road. Maybe they could change it to "Kafa" as part of the campaign? A kind of moving billboard?
Onzlo: I hear that most of their movement is by helicopter. Of course, it costs a fortune, but who cares?
Anon: looooool!
You do have a point there, but you also have to consider:
1. There is the safety/security issue of the Royal Family. Even though the odds are insignificant, this is the case all over the world (including democracies!). There are people responsible to keep them safe and think this is the best way to do it.
2. Motorcade drivers are trained for this and cannot be compared to the average Jordanian driver. I cannot remember the last time we heard about a royal motorcade in an accident.
Just for the record, and I'm not saying that this is always the case, I have personally spotted Her Majesty driving a silver X5 and waiting for a green light at the Baccalaureate School/Sweileh intersection. My 2 cents
Its true that the Queen is the face of the Kafa campaign, but you gotta look at this as "a Royal endorsement" of the campaign, meaning that it could have been the King up there. Which brings me to the question, why do people find it easy to criticize the Queen but not the King? I mean in an Arab home you would think that the man of the house has a say, at the very least in what the woman says or does.
Nadeem:I disagree. In democracies presidential motorcades don't drive people off the road or endanger the lives of other motorists. Also, accidents caused by this behavior are covered up, so your not hearing about them doesn't mean they don't happen.
Marcus: Your point is irrelevant. I am just as angry as being almost killed by a motorcade with the king in it as with a motorcade with the queen.
The issue here is not the driving skills but the arrogance associated with the so-called Royal motorcade. To the best of my knowledge when the King or Queen have a convoy the street will freed up gradually to allow easy and secure passage. The motorcades associated with arrogant gestures are mostly for "less important" figures who may not necessarily be royal but work in the Royal Court. I know people who have touched bases with the Royalty closely and they all agree that both the King and Queen are modest, but the majority of the "Hasheya" are arrogant.
Fantastic post Khalaf.
Maybe the king should go back to driving a taxi incognito when he needs to go to the airport?
Give credit where credit is due; think of how you can contribute to the campaign; and dont try to discredit and ridicule the Queen because of the actions of security branches that she does not control, driving motorcades where she is not present.
I.m amused that you havent replied to my post just above this one. I suppose it's clear that your post and your comments above are totally inappropriate, not to mention of bad taste and indeed arrogant.
The Queen actually is known to have driven her own car when she was still permitted to, as Princess Rania-- in spite of her high-speed driver with security escort detail. If you dont believe this, ask an old intercontinental staff- the intercontinental was the location of choice for the Princess to open or hold workshops, consultations and meets, and I've seen her driving herself into the driveway there on more than one occassion.
I might be dim, so explain to me how the royal family has no control over the security branches. These security branches work for whom?
Also, again bear with my ignorance, what does the fact that the queen used to drive her car have anything to do with anything?
Sometimes I don't respond to comments for various reasons. One reason is that the comment might be too stupid. Another is that I have better things to do with my time than churn water.
Dim? Ignorant? Don't exaggerate!
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