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NEWS > EVERYONE ELSE > SAUDI WOMAN DEFIES BAN BY DRIVING BADLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY
SAUDI WOMAN DEFIES BAN BY DRIVING BADLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY
May 20 2011
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – Of all the remarkable things we as human beings have been able to do, one of the most notable has to be driving motor vehicles. For most people, Driving isn’t really all that noteworthy at all, it is something mundane and
ordinary, but that itself it what makes it such an achievement. The process of driving, requiring quick motor responses, responsive visual acuity, and quick decision making is a complex task, yet so many of us take to it so easily.
The universal simplicity of driving, due in part to the design of cars no doubt, is evidence of how sophisticated we truly are. No other animal on the planet would have even the vaguest of ideas on how to operate a car even with robust hands-on training, yet for humans it is something which can be learned with proficiency in a few months. Of course, not everyone learns to drive with the same level of efficacy. Some people are able to race cars at ridiculously high speeds or move heavy loads for hours at a time while some have trouble turning a corner effectively. There does not appear to be any rhyme or reason to that gap between abilities, though it has been universally agreed upon that many women aren’t nearly as good as men, including one particular woman who has defied a ban on female drivers in Saudi Arabia.
“I have done this, I have driven for four straight days across the country, to defend my belief that Saudi women should be allowed to drive. I don't fear being arrested 
because I am setting an example that my daughter and her friends are proud of,” said Najla al-Hariri, a housewife. “I do this because it is the right of all women in the world to drive as they see fit. We should not have to beg for rides, to be at the mercy of men to get anywhere. I will continue to drive until all women are able.”
Al-Hariri has apparently been driving for years and according to friends has improved quite remarkably.
“I saw her driving the other day and she was quite good, or at least much better than she has been in the past. It appears that all these years of driving in other countries have done her well. I would still not get in the car with her, but she is much better than she used to be,” said a friend who preferred to remain anonymous. “I think it’s a great thing that she has taken on this task for all of us. I hope that someday all girls and women will be allowed to drive, though hopefully they will, receive lessons from men. If she is the best we have of women drivers, that would be very concerning for the future.”
Saudi officials declined to make comment on specifics of the incident, but did state there had been a number of complaints from male drivers from across the country.
“It is the policy of the police forces throughout the country that only licensed drivers be allowed on the roads. This applies to all persons regardless of gender or driving ability. You must have a licence and be trained in order to operate a motor vehicle,” said a police official. “We cannot allow any persons to wreak havoc on our streets. This is not an issue of gender but an issue of ability, which women simply do not have. We cannot allow, for the good of all people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, people who are incapable of operating these vehicles properly.”
Al-Hariri plans to continue driving.
Emil Uliya, International Correspondent
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