JEDDAH, 16 October 2003 — Visitors to the US Consulate are being exposed to a great deal of danger. The danger does not come so much from the threat of a possible terrorist-related incident, but rather from the traffic outside the consulate’s gate.
With no proper parking area for visitors to the consulate, drivers are forced to park in the Soliman Fakeeh Hospital parking lot. They then have to cross to Hail Street to approach the main consulate entrance on Palestine Street. Once they cross the road and attempt to walk next to the consulate’s heavily-guarded wall to the entrance, an armed Saudi soldier orders them to cross Palestine Street in order to prevent them from walking along the consulate’s perimeter wall.
So visitors and consulate staff alike are forced to cross Palestine Street at the traffic signal. However, to get back to the entrance they must again cross the busy Palestine Street — this time without the aid of a traffic light or a pedestrian walkway. Those leaving the consulate have no choice at all but to cross four lanes of traffic. With driving conditions the way they are in Jeddah, that is no small challenge.
According to a traffic official, pedestrian fatalities along busy roads such as Palestine Street are common and take more lives every year than traffic accidents.
Although no accidents involving a vehicle and a pedestrian have occurred in front of the consulate, the concern that one will certainly exists. This journalist, while leaving the consulate on Monday morning, attempted to cross Palestine Street, as is required by the National Guard personnel — and was nearly struck by a small pickup truck.
When contacted regarding the matter, the consulate stated that this has been a concern of theirs for quite sometime, as their staff also have to follow the directives of the National Guard.
In a statement to Arab News, the Office of Public Affairs at the US Consulate stated: “Persons having business at the consulate should be careful and let their people off in a safe location close to the corners of Hail Street or Al-Andalus Street. They should then walk on the sidewalk opposite the consulate and cross over to the gate. This last part is the most difficult, but the National Guard does not allow persons to walk along the sidewalks next to the consulate wall. Because of security, this is a good policy.
“We have had incidents at our gate and our security and the National Guard are trained to be very alert to any unauthorized person who tries to approach the gate. It is for (visitors’) protection as well as all the staff who work at the consulate. We wish it were otherwise.”
