JEDDAH, 11 February — Unable to pay a huge telephone bill, a Saudi has decided to resort to official begging.
The man, whose name is not being revealed, received a telephone bill for SR21,000. When he refused to pay, his line was disconnected. He promptly complained to the Saudi Telecom Company, saying the bill was "unbelievably huge". Their response? The usual story: pay the bill first, and we’ll listen to your complaint afterward.
So the man has asked the anti-beggary department to issue him with an official begging permit so he can raise the money to pay the bill in full.
His main worry is now that the issuance of the permit will be delayed if the department’s officials process his application by computer — a fear based on his experience at several other departments, according to Okaz daily.
In his application, the man stated that begging is the only way he can think of to raise the money, as he is a law-abiding citizen who does not want to resort to cheating or robbing.
