Why Do They Drive Around Aimlessly?

JEDDAH, 11 May 2007 — Across the Kingdom and across the world, youngsters driving aimlessly in groups are a common sight. But why do youngsters do it? With very little entertainment available for those that are young and single, some youngsters say they are just simply bored. Others say they get a thrill out of driving fast and pulling stunts.

“I prefer driving around in the streets rather than going to enclosed places that are just for families. I can’t stay all day locked up at home and, therefore, I drive around in my car,” Salim Al-Hugbani, a Saudi youth who drives a Mitsubishi Lancer, told Al-Jazirah newspaper.

His friend, Khaled Al-Maimuni, said he also has nothing to do and so drives around aimlessly. “When I leave home there is no fixed destination. I just allow my car to take me wherever I want. Sometimes I end up going to places that I don’t even think of visiting,” he said. “There are Internet cafes and billiard places, but I’ve never thought of going there. I just prefer driving around in the streets,” he added.

Fahd Al-Shammari, a university student, said he has nowhere to go. “Therefore, we spend our time on the streets. I know it is bad, I also know that the city is usually overcrowded with cars. I tried to quit, but I couldn’t find any place other than home to go to and so I wander the streets,” said Al-Shammari.

Some youngsters feel driving in the streets is better than doing stunts and drugs. “There are some crazy people out there doing some crazy stuff. We’re just driving around and that’s it,” said Naif Al-Onaizi. “You get to see different things and different people. I don’t like going to coffee shops, Internet cafes, or billiard places. I feel imprisoned in closed buildings. I’m an outgoing person and so prefer the streets,” he added.

Bandar Abdul Kareem aims to be a writer and said he drives around Jeddah looking for inspiration. “I have made several attempts to write stories. To me the streets are a good source of inspiration. I get many ideas from the streets. When I am on the streets I drive slowly and I observe things around me,” he said.

So is the practice of driving around aimlessly a Saudi thing? Abdul Aziz Al-Shamrani feels it is a common thing shared by people across the world. “I don’t think this is due to there being a lack of places of entertainment. In Dubai, for instance, the youth have many places to go but they still drive around on the streets,” said Al-Shamrani.

However, Al-Shamrani’s friend, Majed Nasir, believes the phenomenon is a Gulf one. “People here have luxurious lifestyles. They have very little to do and so drive around aimlessly,” said Nasir, who has never traveled to Europe or America.

According to Abdul Majeed Al-Hazai, some youngsters only like to drive in one-way streets. “For three hours today, I’ve just been driving in one-way streets. I can carry on for a few more hours,” he said.

“Where do you expect us to go? Every place is restricted to families. Here in Riyadh we don’t even have a beach to go to,” said Abdul Wahab Al-Jaber, who was driving a new white BMW. His friend, Wail Al-Sindi, agreed: “Being single you end up being excluded from society. We’re not allowed to take part in anything. Families have taken over everything and we’re left with either the homes or the streets.”

Abdul Aziz Muhammad said he had been to many cities and says the problem is confined to Riyadh. “This is a Riyadh thing. You don’t find it in other cities,” he said, adding that initially he “wasn’t interested in driving aimlessly” and only started after seeing a lot of his friends do it.

Dr. Saud Al-Khamees, a social and family consultant, said that the youngsters who tend to drive around aimlessly have excessive free time. “They seem to be emotionally inconsistent and seem to suffer from anxiety. Many do this to leave home and escape family problems. Others suffer problems related to school, university and unemployment,” he said.

Al-Khamees added that youngsters go out to take drugs and smoke cigarettes to escape their misery. “Some visit gyms, others go camping or traveling, and some just drive around because they are free and have nothing to do. They suffer from psychological problems that need to be treated, especially since they are driving around aimlessly just to kill time. We don’t find people who are busy doing things like this,” said Al-Khamees.