Danger in Dubai?

Alot of my friends back home keep asking me if I feel safe here in Dubai. I keep telling them that they need to read their local papers and see if they are safe in the US? Last weekend when I was home in Columbus, there were 3 murders in the news as I drove into town on Monday morning--and another 2 had been solved over the weekend.

In contrast, murder and most other major crimes (and petty crimes) are pretty rare here in Dubai. There aren't really any parts of town that you would fear to travel. So I feel pretty safe and comfortable here...or I did until I saw that I may need Insurance for my GOLF GAME!!!

While waiting at the insurance office to get car insurance, I noticed a brochure for golf insurance.
For 250 aed (about $70) you get coverage for any damages your golf game may inflict upon the innocents of this world. You are covered for property damage, bodily injury, permanent disablement and/or accidental death to your 'caddy' or other persons on the golf course. If you suffer a dibilitating injury that keeps you from said threat of inflicting golf injury or damage, you will be reimbursed pro-rata for your membership fees. Also covered is accidental loss or damage of clubs, bags, and other golf equipment (excludes balls, sadly).

Also insured is your bar tab, in the event that you score a hole-in-one.

Soap Opera

There is a soap opera brewing in the parking garage here at our apartment building. Apparently, a woman named Helen, side-swiped the rear bumper of a Nissan Grandis station wagon which is parked as you round a corner and was not pulled all the way into it's parking space...because there was a bike parked against the wall infront of the Nissan. But they could have pulled in another 3 ft. I also think the car is a rental. I haven't searched the garage for a dented front right fender...Helen's car.

Anyway, Helen left a very nice note under the rear window wiper, giving her apt # and some phone numbers. Note stayed there for a day or two and then I noticed some more writing on the note. Someone else had told Helen she shouldn't pay, since they had complained several times to building security about the lousy parking job.

In the meantime, it's been another 3-4 days and the note is still there, and the car hasn't moved. I just know the big showdown will occur while I'm out of town next week. Maybe I should copy Helen's # and ask her how it turns out!

Tundra Update, Part 2

Another Tundra sighting today…the black one again. No sign of my Grey Tundra, though the customs broker says that it made it past the Somali Pirates (drats!) and is in town. Here’s what’s been happening, in case you ever want to ship a vehicle and contents overseas. First of all, no matter what the shipping broker says, insist on listing all the personal items that you are shipping inside the vehicle. I’m pretty aggravated with Air7Seas, who arranged the transport of the Tundra. I asked them on 3 specific occasions if they needed to know what items I was putting in the truck. Every time, the answer was ‘no’ (which really made no sense to me, but I kept saying they do this every day, so they must know). Also, once the truck was on the boat (and remember, I hadn’t paid a single cent yet) I got an invoice where the cost of the container had jumped from $2450 to $3550. I emailed, and called and left msgs, but never heard anything back. I did mail a check for the invoice amount minus the $1100 difference. So I just let it go for the time being.
Anyway, the Tundra sailed from Savannah around Nov 7 and was due in around Dec 2nd. I started looking for a Customs Broker (because it’s required here in Dubai, and I doubt my Arabic is sufficient to get thru all the documentation). My shipper recommended one—they never answered their phone for 3 days. I finally got the name of a broker from a classmate who was shipping a container from New Zealand. I called them; they emailed me an estimate (about $800) within 30 mins and I filled out the requisite form, attached a passport photo, included a copy of my passport and my resident visa. Then we hit a little snag. None of the personal items in the truck are listed on the Bill of Lading. They also needed an original of the Bill of Lading or a Telex Release (whatever that is) or an express release (whatever that is). Soooo, I emailed the shipping broker and told them that I needed the Bill of Lading amended, and I inquired about the telex or express release. Emails weren’t really working with these people—though they do like to send them. Since I was in the states the first week of December I was able to get the Air7Seas folks on the phone and got them working on the Bill of Lading—apparently that had to be done by Orient Overseas Shipping Line who carried the Tundra thru the dangerous Gulf of Aden and past the Somali Pirates. Anyway, they also wanted to talk about my unpaid balance. I argued my case and they finally came up with some bogus charge of $300; I paid it. They are one step below car salesmen and I will be talking to the BBB once I get the keys to my truck in hand. They got the documentation straightened out and sent it via DHL to Dubai, I typed up a packing list, and gave everything to the customs broker yesterday. They seem happy…now we will see what happens. I do know that there will be a duty tax to pay…just depends on what value they assign the truck. I have some more photos just in case.

Sidebar: In the middle of this whole process, Bellsouth, who told me that my email would be available for 60 days after I terminated my account, cut me off after 30 days and dumped all my email--including most of my correspondence with Air7Seas. Fortunately, I had downloaded and printed a couple crucial documents. Thanks Bellsouth!

In the meantime, I’m trying to get insurance on the truck. Again, I will need to fill out a form, sacrifice another passport photo, copies of passport and visa, and I also need to get a letter from Toyota saying they can get parts for the Truck (they can) since it’s a restricted import. I also need a letter from my US insurance company saying I haven’t crashed into anyone over the past 4-5 yrs so I can get a 30% discount. That’s in the works. Still haven’t seen the quote.
And I’m looking forward to trying to get the truck registered. Which reminds me, I need to get a front plate holder while I’m in the US next week, so they can nail me with the radar cameras.

Sorry, if this has been a ramble thru the red tape tangle that is International Shipping and Dubai. Maybe there should have been a warning label. I wrote it more for my own reference…or for whoever is foolish enough to follow in my shoes. Sorry…hope it wasn’t too much like real life.

Back in the Saddle

I finally started my On-the-job training today--felt good to talk to airplanes again, even if I couldn't understand what alot of them were saying. Mostly, I stumbled over unfamiliar call signs (Azerberjaini, Ariana, Kish Air, Osman, Omani, Bahrani, Saudi, Donarvia, India Express, Swiss Ambulance, Blue Silver, Safa, Aerostana, and a few that just used 3-letter phonetics) and some off the wall operations. I also had to deal with the ideosyncracies of some of my old work habits...everytime I cleared someone for takeoff I picked the strip up to scan the barcode--except we don't use barcodes; gave one aircraft 'taxi in position and hold' instead of 'Line up and wait' (didn't even realize I had done it until my trainer said something). I did get to clear DAL 8 to land, but didn't stick around to see if he actually made it...time to go home!

One of the clearances they use over here is one I swore I wouldn't use...and it was one of the first ones I used: 'Behind the landing A330 line up and wait RWY 30 R.' All I can say is when in Dubai, do as the Dubains do. We also had a GulfAir cleared runway heading (and he even verified runway heading) make a 60 degree right turn off the runway. I wanted to ask him if he was using one of the Atlanta RNAV SIDs. Apparently there are a few air carriers you really have to watch.

My crew consists of some ex-Heathrow guys, a South African, and a couple Emerati nationals, including the first female controller--who is also a member of the Royal family (haven't got the whole story yet, but she is very funny and pretty cool). I think I wound up with a good, laid back, fun crew. My trainer got a kick out of the fact that I actually say 'niner;' said he had never heard that used before.

Training is mandatory 40 days, so target mid February for the checkout party. Everyone is invited!

Sharing is good...

Unless it's your airline seat on a 14 hour flight.

I flew back to Atlanta last week to surprise my son for the Columbus High Chorus Holiday performance. And he was sufficiently surprised, his jaw literally dropped--and he had a surprise for me. He sprained his ankle the day I arrived and was on crutches. My daughter was very happy to see me, too, once she realized I wasn't a doctor taking care of Max's ankle.

Anyway, Max took the stage on crutches and the whole group performed very well. He even managed to go up and down 4 flights of stairs for the reception afterwards.

I was only in town for 3 days, but I got to enjoy some time with the kids; hang out with my friends for coffee, and take care of a couple loose ends. I even got to wear a light jacket and scrape a little frost off the windshield...oh, how I miss that!

Now back to sharing...DAL 7 to ATL wasn't too bad. I had a big guy next to me, but I was on the exit row, so lots of leg room to stretch out. DAL 8 to Dubai was a different story. I prefer the aisle seat and when I showed up to claim mine, the large gentleman in the middle seat had already raised the armrest and claimed a few inches of my seat. Also didn't have the leg room to make it work, so I spent alot of time in the galley. I know I'm not skinny, but I do fit in my seat. And I know alot of people are just the way God made them...as bad as it was for me, I know I would not have survived being that guy in the middle seat.

Now, I have a suggestion for Delta and all other airlines. Let's start making people state their weight when they make their reservation. They should be able to do this and claim it's for load planning and weight balance. Then when someone claims a seat they can color code the seat by weight class...green for less than 100lbs; blue for 100-200lbs; red for over 200lbs...that way, when I pick my seat I can try and find someone smaller to sit next to and both of us will be comfortable. And the aisle seat I had will eventually fall to someone who is in a smaller weight class and everyone should be able to ride in relative comfort. How about it Delta?

In the mean time, I'm working out and trying to get out of the red.