 The Metro Red line running through new Dubai |
No metro ride for me today as I had to stay home from work, having picked up something. Some people are warning, don't ride the metro for fear of swine flu. It is highly unlikely I've got the sniffles from either the metro or the bus. Both are normally not crowded--especially in the gold class. One can sit comfortably with good ventilation.
It is much more likely that I picked up whatever I've got in the office or the apartment block I live in. This morning my building's management staff greeted me with advice to drink tea with lemon, which they said they were all doing.
Wifi No Go, p2
(Yesterday's metro news...)
<< The venerable Dubai World Trade Center (at center), the city's first skyscraper built in 1979.The Gulf News featured an article on the introduction of Du wireless to the metro. Is this news? I don't get it. The rather hapless wireless service has been available since day one. I was hopeful that the day's news was going to be an announcement of a change in terms which might improve the service, but it simply reported the old news in banner headline form as if to herald something new.
It looks fine in print... wireless internet service at various fee structures. But you don't appreciate what any of that really means unless you actually try to use the service and discover that in reality it is expensive and does not really work.
Login takes a long time, the signal cuts out at times, page loading at times is extremely poor--3, 4, 5 minutes for Gmail to load, if at all--and nearly non-existent upload capability.
Extendable trays in the gold class cabin are more designed for laptops than coffee cups. >>I have used my laptop nearly every day since opening day on 10 Sept--12 to 15 days now--and the service has been consistently poor. I don't get why they are even charging for this, or at least why they don't enable it to perform well with any consistency.
There are two freebees--the Du website itself (yawn), where you can find out all about their services, and the RTA site. At least the RTA site provides practical and relevant information. You could plan out the remainder of your journey in minute detail and explore bus routes and schedules.
You could also try out a variety of games and metro simulations provided on the virtual RTA site--actually I will need to confirm whether this one is also free to access without a Du login.
Other RTA Business
 << Looking through the metro glass at a receding Jafiliya station.Not directly related to the metro but another facet of the RTA are the driver's license regulations. I am in the process of exchanging a driver's license from Abu Dhabi with a Dubai license. As this is not very commonly done, there is no specific info on any RTA sites detailing the process. It isn't necessary for most people to do this, anyway, as a license from any emirate can be used in any other. In my case, however, I need to replace a damaged license and might as well do so with one for my current residency. Besides, having a Dubai license seems cooler than having an Abu Dhabi one! The requirements I have found, thusfar, are straightforward. |
 Gold class cabin convenience and comfort. >>Several things are required:
That is where the process currently hangs. At least the RTA office provided in Arabic a letter which they also placed in a sealed envelope with whatever details or instructions I presume the Abu Dhabi office will be in need of. Thereby, hopefully, avoiding my going to the AD office only to be told that I need something else from the Dubai office. To be continued... |
 A shaky low-light condition digital snapshot creates an artistic impression of the view through the driverless train window. |
Feel better soon.
ReplyDeleteThanks, one day later and after a doctor visit, all is well.
ReplyDelete