Being fined is fine
Seven years of living an uneventful life in the UAE and two fines in the space of three months -- for eating on the Metro and jaywalking. Of course, it was embarrassing and money wasted, but as the MasterCard commercial goes, the knowledge gained was ‘priceless’. Incidentally, the fines included a ‘knowledge fee’ component. How did becoming poorer by Dh300 contribute to my enlightenment? Well, for one it has dawned on me that I roll my tongue in my mouth when I am deep in thought. If procrastination is not a good idea in this era of instant gratification, giving the impression of chewing something in the Gold Class of the Dubai Metro is unforgivable. It’s ‘show ID, get out and pay up’. And don’t dare try playing the pseudo-intellectual who needs to think on the move, rolling tongue and all that jazz. Nevertheless, given the fact that my wife believes that I dress like a tramp (no offence to tramps) and my discomfort with all things that glitter, I proceeded to ask the ticket c...