07 August 2008

Pump It Yourself Coming to Dubai

Emiratis will now be forced to pump their own gas at several stations. It's the end of an era. Of course, the west made this shift years ago. Gone are the days when a young man checked your oil , water and air while he filled your tank. Many a senior citizen had their first job as a gas jockey back in the 50's and 60's. But in the Emirates, I fear for the safety of the public. Most Emiratis are not familiar with manual labor and mechanical devices. The operation of a gasoline pump may be beyond their ability without extensive training. Second, too many Emiratis like to smoke and pump gas at the same time. And I always took advantage of the free windshield wash that came with the fill up. In the dusty atmosphere of the Emirates, washing your windshield is a continuous job. And don't forget the heat. Who wants to jump out and pump gas in 130 degrees? And finally, there's the man/woman thing. I can't see Emirati women (and they do drive in the UAE as opposed to KSA) pumping their own gas.

PE thinks its a bad idea, and possibly a dangerous one. And the poor guys working at the station don't earn enough for there to be an economic reason for the change. Anyone care to wager which station has the first fire?

1 comment:

Kyle said...

These guys here want to be the first in embracing absurd ideas, & then keep their fingers crossed every one else follows suit.

Ah, first! Reminds me of that twerp over at Perez Hilton who just keeps keying in 'first' even though he isn't!

Welcome to madness.