Murder Mile

People used to call it 'Murder Mile' because of the accident rate, but of recent years it's become too much of a car park for there to be any serious accidents. And now they powers that be have shut the road between Dubai and Sharjah and installed a couple of sneaky and highly disruptive diversions as work starts on a new six-lane underpass to replace the infamous bottleneck that is the Galadari Roundabout/Al Mulla Plaza underpass/overpass system.

Every road out of Dubai was blocked tonight. Every possible snicket and witty little short cut was jam packed with advantage-seeking optimists. The new Business Bay Bridge had become the Business Bay Tailback. Even my beloved two minute dune drive was littered with people who'd never taken their 4WDs in dunes before and so who were bogged down to the bonnets in the lovely soft, creamy sand that the recent hot weather has brought us. And no, I didn't stop and tow them out. I usually would. But by the time I got to them tonight, I was only fit to call down a plague upon all their houses.

I can only hope that the traffic dynamic adapts to the new system and settles down quickly. I never thought I'd actually come to appreciate Murder Mile!!!