Saudi taxi drivers say they dress up like expats to escape the unfair avoidance of female customers who usually prefer drivers from the subcontinent. — Archives RIYADH – Many women are reluctant to ride a taxi cab if the driver is Saudi and prefer expatriate drivers. The intentional avoidance of taxi cabs driven by Saudis has compelled some young Saudi men to wear the traditional clothing of foreign nationalities and disguise themselves as expatriates to attract passengers and make enough money for the day. The reasons women state for the development of this phenomenon of a seeming phobia towards Saudi taxi drivers are largely based on presumptions and stereotypes. Al-Riyadh newspaper spoke to a number of men and women on the issue and why they refuse to ride with Saudi drivers. “Every time I step out of a shopping mall I find Saudi taxi drivers lined up to offer me a ride but I turn them down and look for a driver of another nationality. To ensure my privacy in my conversations over the telephone or with my friend riding with me, I prefer a non-Arabic speaking driver. The one time I sat with a Saudi taxi driver, he listened to my conversation and even interjected and gave me his opinion, which I did not ask for!” said Jawhara Al-Dakhail. Many women refuse to ride with Saudi taxi drivers because their cars are often polluted with the smell of cigarette smoke and some drivers even smoke while they drive, which is not only unhealthy and rude but dangerous as well. Others say Saudi taxi drivers are coarse in their dealings with customers, make jokes, are negligent in keeping the car clean from the inside and out and often demand higher rates than drivers from the sub-continent for example. Hind Muhammad used to avoid riding with Saudi taxi drivers due to stories she had heard but she changed her mind after a positive experience. “I find that Saudi men drive more safely and carefully than other drivers and they follow traffic regulations. The Saudi driver has been living here all his life and he knows the streets and major locations better. When we get stuck in a traffic jam, he knows alternate routes that will get me to my destination on time. Saving time is essential to me because I have a job and am required to arrive to work on time,” said Hind. Other people who spoke to Al-Riyadh newspaper also talked about the advantages of riding with Saudi cab drivers. They urged society to give them a chance to enter the job market, compete with expatriate drivers and to prove themselves. Supporting Saudi taxi drivers helps combat unemployment, which has its own negative ramifications in any society, and it helps ensure that the nation's young men earn an honest living and are able to put food to the table for their families. “Many of those who criticize Saudi taxi drivers have never even ridden with one and they are simply repeating what they have heard from others. Every time I ride with a Saudi taxi driver, I find him to be polite and helpful. I often pay them more than they ask to encourage Saudi men to persist at their jobs. It is our responsibility to help our own brothers who are working hard, no matter what the job is,” said Saudi citizen Abdullah Al-Marzouq. “Once, a young Saudi drove me to my work. When I arrived, I was surprised that I had forgotten my wallet and had no money to pay him. I offered to borrow money from a co-worker or meet him at a later date and pay him back. However, he insisted that it was no problem at all and did not charge me,” said Rayan Al-Dosari. Saudi taxi driver Ayid admitted to wearing the traditional dress of a South Asian country and said he refrains from speaking Arabic in his original accent so passengers accept riding with him. Ayid believes Saudis are unfairly stereotyped and that most just want to earn an honest living. “Women say they want to remain unknown and unrecognized as they drive about town and they wish to retain their privacy but at the same time they engage in lengthy discussions in the car when riding together with their friends or family members. “What most Saudi women are unaware of is that the majority of expatriate taxi drivers understand Arabic pretty well so they should be more reserved with what they say regardless of the nationality of the driver. As a Saudi man responsible for a family, I have no interest in my passengers' conversations; the only reason I am driving a taxi cab is to obtain a steady, Halaal income to provide for my children,” said Ayid.
