Manal Masoud Al-Sharif drove her car on the road with her brother. She was full of confidence and responsibility. She was not joyriding, did drive through a traffic signal, was not speeding and did not commit any traffic violation.

She was surprised to be caught. She suddenly found herself being treated as a hot potato. Each party concerned wanted to get rid of her as quickly as possible. Whoever read Tuesday’s newspaper would find that every newspaper had a different account of the story. Some papers said she was released while others said she was jailed for five days. Some also said it was the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (Haia) that arrested her. There were other stories attributed to Haia.

The accusations reported by the newspapers were: Disturbing public order and violating rules and regulations. However, not carrying a valid driver’s license is the main reason to stop any driver. This violation did not slip Manal’s mind. She must have thought of this while expecting what would happen. The problem was the great havoc created after that.

Many foreign drivers learn driving here. Many of them escape from their sponsors to work on their own. The matter needs a solution that suits the needs of the people.

An official reportedly said: “The government has no role in the issue” and the question as a whole was a social problem. The director general of traffic reportedly said: “Ask the legislative bodies.”

We do not know in which court the ball is now, but the issue is much simpler than this.