Yesterday I went to Shuwaikh’s port near Kuwait University. I wanted to tell everything in details, but that proved to be impossible… so many little annoying details.. most of which were intangible.. you’d have to go there once and know what i’m talking about. Anyway, i picked just 3 incidents, here we go:
1-I had to get a visitor badge so i can enter the free zone area to check-out my packages.. we went to an office’s window (we were not allowed to enter. just wait by the window for the officer to finish your documents and hand it out to you). there were 2 groups of people waiting at 2 different windows, The first window (officer) told me that in order to get the free pass badge, I had to get my Civil-ID and Package-documents photocopied and stamped. i left him and went to the other window (officer) and he told that all i have to do is give him my civil-id in exchange. and i did, i gave him the id and he gave me the badge.
2 employees, 2 different rules. within 5 meters of each other.
2-I went in (the badge of honor in my pocket) and went straight to the warehouse where my stuff was put into a pile. we searched for the mas2ool (the guy in charge), no one was there… only an indian guy (who was a bit moody). turned out the guy in charge (the egyptian guy) is not available right now.. we were asked to wait for about 45 minutes.. (the people at the customs will leave within the next 30 minutes).
I complained, I yelled and I argued… and at the end, the indian guy got sick of me and gave me the egyptian guy’s phone number. i did the same when i called that guy, complained, yelled and argued…
Me: where are YOU!!!
mas2ool: ana 3and almo7akik… (mo7aqiq) ana mash’3ool delwa2t! meen idaak ilrakam dah!
Me: doesn’t matter! just come back now! i’m in a hurry!
mas2ool: i’m with the mo7aqiq!! i can’t come now! give me 30 minutes
Me: what are you doing there? why are you there and not here where you’re supposed to be!? even if you had something important there, you can’t just go and leave your place without anyone else in charge!
10 minutes later my problem was solved and we took the packages and went to customs…
3-I took many pictures in that warehouse. of classic cars, big boxes, my boxes and some random dusty stuff..
on our way to the customs (i’m in my car, and my packages in the other big car). as we were driving, the sea was on my left. the port looked very nice and very bloggable.. i opened my window and took out my mobile and started taking pictures.. of the sea, the port, the dock, ships… etc. and then I WAS STOPPED!
G.i.Joe: what are you doing!
Me: taking pictures? 😀
Joe: i got a tip that someone was taking pictures of the dock! give me your id and your visitor’s pass.
Me: (oh the badge! he’s going to take my badge!)
Joe: you know.. if you weren’t kuwaiti, i would’ve had to inform the maba7ith. and they were going to send you to the niyaba, then transfer you to the national security department! bitroo7 ibdahya kint!
Me: shdaaaaaaaaa3waaaaaaaaaaa 😀 😀
Joe: i’m not joking (angry face). you don’t think you’ve done something illegal?
Me: actually, no i don’t.. all i’ve done was take some pictures.. and not good ones at that, since i was driving and shooting at the same time…
Joe: thats illegal!! you can’t take pictures of ports! just like how you can’t take pictures of the airport! same thing!
Me: what are you talking about! there are 2 music videos shot at the airport!! (abdulkarim and ruwaishid’s).. its not illegal!
Joe: look, i think your intentions were pure.. and therefor i won’t be sending you to the police (maba7ith)..
Me: if you want me to delete the pictures i will.. i don’t care..
Joe: well, if you don’t delete them now infront of me, i’m gonna take you to the police myself.
can you believe that!! i mean what kind of a sick, stupid terrorist would use mobile shots to plot an attack! i mean when you have something like this:
the mouse cursor is showing the place where i was stopped
why would you need poor quality, mobile pictures… i guess i’ll never know the answer..
all in all, the experience was an awful and sad one. Kuwait’s system and the guys working in our biggest and most important ministries are stupid and incompetent. i had to race an officer with my car just to get his clearance signature. thats telling!
Thanks to Google Earth for the picture above.
[…] Hate yourself? Go to Mina Shuwaikh! mamie ami wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptPosted By Yousef Yesterday I went to […]
I would be careful about posting a picture like this, personally. Good story though. We go through the same kinds of bureaucratic conversations, and people not being present in their work stations where I live, too. Access to Google Earth has been blocked where I live, as well.
Eileen
Dedicated Elementary Teacher Overseas
elementaryteacher.wordpress.com
Note: Get Shozu any picture you take can be automagically uploaded to your blog or flickr. Simple quick and easy. So let him delete them you already have a copy online.
Oh if you save your pictures to memory card, you can use a undelete program and get them back.
yousef: shame on you, never listen to anybody who works in a ministry! except for police or the minister himself.. anyway as nibaq said try to restore them back
What a great story – just the arbitrariness of it all!
How the hell is Kuwait gonna be a ‘financial hub’ if the systems and people we have in place are full of utter and complete shiite.
Want something even more ridiculous? one time at 2 am after 5 minutes from leaving the Movenpick hotel at the free zone area I had a “police car” (more like a civilian car with that small rotating light being placed on top of the car after 2 minutes from silently chasing me) stop me and the guy inside rolled out his window and told me “Do you know where you are? You are in a restricted area! You are not supposed to be here!!”
Uh, if I was in a restricted area, how the hell did I get into the area so freely without passing any gates or check points? And here I am stumbling to find an exit in the complete darkness going into a restricted area, what about those who intentionally want to enter them?
elementaryteacher I don’t think i could get into any trouble for a picture that is not hard to get all around the world in just few clicks. wow @ google earth being blocked where you at! but i wouldn’t be surprised if they block it in kuwait in the near future 😐
nibaq oh never thought of that! i will try to retrieve the pics. thanks for the tip 😉
Hamad ilrayal ily wagafny kan labis jaishy…. it’haga kan ilmafrooth a7agra? 😛 o yalla shid 7ailik o yeebly hal program 😛
intlxpatr it was all happening randomly. it all depends on you not giving up and trying to dodge their stupidness.. i hate when people act without LOGIC, coz i hate not knowing what to expect.
amer its not going to happen any time soon. actually that thought is laughable ❗
Kha oh wow! they really think they’ve covered all the potential holes in the system.. and WE, the regular people, are the only threat in those “restricted areas”?
how can they keep a straight face? i mean don’t they ever stop and question themselves and the job they’re doing? its not making me angry anymore, just plain sad for the state we’ve reached.
Haha, sorry to hear about your interrogation incident, if you were the one near Cafe digol taking pictures then I’m sorry to tell you that you’ve been snitched by one of the cafe regulars who works in “amn dawla”. Because yesterday he came in shouting and cursing of how people come and take pics of such critical places. Patriotism I guess. :/
Just keep in mind that it’s forbidden to take pics out there.
Yeah the picture thing is an issue. If you’re heading towards Quortuba on 4th ring road there’s a sign there somewhere saying you can’t take pictures because I think some shyoo5 live there. Also you can’t take a picture of dar salwa (bait ishai5 siba7) if my memory doesn’t fail me. My brother and his freind who was visiting Kuwait tried to take a picture there and was followed and stopped by some 7aar guy madri shlona licha7 ilsayara. I like that they act fast when it comes to these things. It shows they’re watching and paying attention.
Glad you managed to get your stuff out eventually 😀
MacaholiQ8 lol no i wasn’t near any cafe, i was IN the free zone area.. and i’m gonna keep that in mind 😛
Nameless oh i’m totally for protecting the Amir of Kuwait and the likes, thats very assuring , that we can actually look after important people. and yeah i’m so glad i’m done and got all my stuff out! 🙂
WoW .. al’9aher bo alshbab ( 7ami deyar almena ) ma ye3arf shy asmah google earth .. allah ye3enah dam hatheel mowa’9feena..