Khalaf Al-Harbi

Okaz

The English write from left to right, and drive their cars from right to left. So, understandably, we are frequently confused when in England. On the other hand, Englishmen are confused and find it difficult to understand what we do.



In England, they speak another language, wear tight trousers and use different plugs and sockets for electrical appliances. The road signs are different. However, tourists from our country remain the same, no matter how hard they try to act better, or assume European manners. We are a blessed people; wherever we go or settle we come up with the strangest things.



Despite the fact that the English have thousands and thousands of laws, rules  and regulations that have been in place since ages, and from which thousands of laws were derived in numerous British colonies, they could not find a single law to deal with groups of Saudi and Gulf teenagers. These youth drive aimlessly in London’s residential districts in their luxurious and fast cars, music blaring day and night; their cars have virtually been converted into mobile discos.



Despite coming across many things, the English have never dealt with such a case before. They have not yet discovered the pleasure of attaining the utmost freedom of coming and going in a car endlessly.



They searched for a punishment for this strange and irritating conduct in the dossiers of the Victorian era, with the hope of finding a penalty for those who roamed in coaches pulled by horses, but they found no law. Therefore, the English were forced to enact a new law, which will come into force as of next month: Anyone found guilty of such conduct will have to pay a large fine and will have his car confiscated.



With the new law, Saudi and Gulf youth have made their own, annoying contribution to deep-rooted and extremely conservative English laws. Were it not for these annoying youth, with their fast cars and loud music — as if telling others of their considerable wealth, little brains, a lot of leisure time, and little respect for the comfort of others — this law would not have appeared.



It has been custom tailored for us.