Abandoned CARS, Anyone?

To my fun-loving fellow who “scared” me with Meme’s & TAG assignments lately, "Shukran Kha-teer Sadeek" (Maraming Salamat Kaibigan). But then again my pathetic excuse. I’m no-really in the good mood to spill my left over secrets today eh, so maybe (just maybe) my phobia with the same will be combat next month :D. On a more serious note, I am ranting instead on this image-tarnishing news on -

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Abandoned cars by Flyaway motorists

(Manong Jay Hilotin writes). Please click here for xtra story.

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While aboard an Airplane to U.A.E from Manila, the equally shocking but projected news, was first delivered to me by a nosy parker seatmate whose annoying British accent could magnet terrorists lurking in the plane. Our tête-à-tête, as follows:

Man: "Hey, you heard of thousand cars abandoned outside Dubai Airport Carpark last December"?

Me: "WHAT?!, what’s that again",? I replied (in my bastardized American accent)

Man: "C'mon, you should know. Last quarter there’r cars recoup daily by the Authorities. Christmas Day was said to be the worst. They uhm,.. found two dozens?. Tsk. Tsk. Dubai is emptying out man" (says he in an arrogant-looking countenance this time)

Me: "You’re not kidding, aren’t you?.. Dubai, the land of gold and promise? Oh, the number's insane, I suppose".

Man: "If I were you, better hit the back issues of xpress4me.com as soon we landed, you’ll see".

Which I did, to dispel my suspicion.

And OMGosh! My gossiper seat-mate was (seemed) pretty right. My wandering eyes caught scores of dust-covered photos online. Then when I threw my jet-lagged self to the road that day and the ff: day to attest the car-dumping rumors, I can't help but to big-mouth (as well) what I saw:

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1. the Highway Nightmares mellow. 2. Shopping Mall queue for proud taxis dropped. 3. the figure of tourists/job hunters had slowed down.

UAE or its no.1 Emirates Dubai, however, is not yet to regain her former Ghost-town title but smiling doomsayers says the issue is just a tip of the iceberg, "patikim" in pinoy slang; both are tantamount to saying - the worst thing is yet to come ugh'. Am I espousing the ill-omened euphemism of the doomsters? NOpe. AM I intensifying the so-called publicity blitzkrieg (attack) by the country's paparazzis? I'm not sure.:D Sans the annoying cultural barriers & bigotry, minus the ethnic group's unwanted sounds & smell, I remain grateful about many good things in this region. For one, It gave me shelter, For two, my bread and butter, For three, it gave me big-big lessons in life.

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Among the big lesson I learnt is the Art of belt-tightening and the Art of saying NO to credit card for credit.

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When the news broke-out, Dubai's popularity was threatened. The country's image-consultants, on the contrary, had vehemently denied the allegations calling it malicious and rubbish. HECK. With whats goin' on, do they really think its JUST a work of stupid minds? a fierce campaign against a blosomming City? Can't they hear the Earth are upto neck with trade and industry problems and so the humanrace? Back to UAE, can't they see - the country's main assets (the expat workforces) are departing daily from 3 giant terminals barely after losing career & residency? cant they see more, yes MORE are feared to be joining the line-up.

Lesser Job Means Lesser People & Lesser Cars

On a lighter note, In the sad exodus of the re trenched and the axed, the remaining resident-commuters have had their bittersweet revenge finally. And those self-important cabbies I exposed in one of my blogs earlier? Oh, well,hey are [now] the ones running and bidding after their [now] proud passengers, (“BEH BUTI NGA SA INYO!”) :D

Kidding aside, I fancy the idea of having lesser cars on the street because there would be lesser honking and hollering, and there would be lesser Drivers that flirts with death. And most importantly, parking will no longer be an impossible dream.

Fast & Furious Facts on Cars

CARS, Deluxe Cars such as those Benz & 4 x 4, apparently, is an ultimate symbol of an Expat’s tax-free salaries. It is something they could drive here bumper to bumper with the moneyed locals. For many, it is a badge of an high earning-status and credit power. For the other many, it is something they couldn’t easily gain or mortgage back home.

So when the region's opulence and opportunities dwindles in the advent of global crisis, and when dubai's spell start to lose its magic and fade its shine, the unfortunate casualties of the on-going redundancy program of the Planet, - THEY, who are jobless & hapless at the moment, - and THEY, who used to cash-in excitedly on the Emirate’s promise of easy living are now said to be deserting their loaned-cars at the Airport's dark corners – so they could FLEE or rather FREE their worried selves from "behind bar experience" which is imminent after defaulting on those shark-loans.

Moreover, here's some xtra facts :

• 3.62 million expats are heading home.
• 1,500 visas were cancelled every day
• 62% of homes occupied by expatriates
• 60% fall in property values predicted
• 50% slump in the price of luxury apartments
• 25% reduction in luxury spending among expats
  3,241 cars were taken back by the banks in 2008
• 8% decline in population are predicted this year
  

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Care for more stagnant CARS? Check THIS one.

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speaking of leaving, our good blogger-friend Yanah, bids her first Adieu to Dubai. Have a safe flight tommorow. Remember that God Provides. Ma-assalam (Goodbye) for now, Insahalla' (God's will) we'll see you again!. :D