JEDDAH, 26 September 2006 — If you’re thinking of going out close to sunset during the holy month, you might want to think twice. Jeddah’s already notorious traffic becomes a free-for-all around Maghreb during Ramadan.
“I had two accidents in the same month a few Ramadans back at about the same time in the day,” said Hassan Nasser of Madain Al-Fahd. “After that I swore not to go out before iftar (fast-breaking); if there is an extreme necessity to go out I would keep in mind that I’m the only sane driver on the road.”
If by chance you find yourself diligently stopped at a red light at the hour virtually everyone is leaving work at the same time to go home for iftar, don’t be shocked to see several cars swishing past you. Every driver in the city thinks he’s the only one in a hurry to get home and break fast with some tasty meat-and-mint stuffed sambosas.
“My father does not allow us to leave the premises at that time no matter what is missing at the iftar table,” said Abdulaziz Mohammed, a Saudi in his teens.
It has become part of living and growing up in Jeddah to have at least one family member who warns during every Ramadan against driving in the city around the time everyone is breaking their fast. “My father adopted a phobia from a past incident. To go on the streets during that time is considered suicide,” said Hassan, a Saudi in his 20s.
Still, year after year it seems most people have forgotten something they need to pick up at the store. It’s common to see long queues of impatient people at food outlets, stomachs grumbling at the smells from the kitchen as they wait for their turn.
Arab News observed in a matter of minutes three cars running a red light at the intersection of Jeddah’s Al-Jamia Street roundabout 30 minutes before iftar. As the muezzins began their maghreb prayer calls from their mosques around town, more and more cars seemed to be disregarding the traffic light. By the time the prayer was over, nobody was stopping at the red light.
After iftar, when everyone has satisfied their hunger, the pace in Jeddah’s streets slows down and the traffic returns to its usual level of chaos.
Such is the rhythm of Ramadan in Jeddah.
