Sven and I called a taxi from The Palms Hotel in Salwa, where we'd just had dinner. He does this all the time as he goes to the gym at Palms. It's always 2 KD* for him to go home to Salmiya from there. Sven got out at his place and told the driver to take me to Bneid Al-Gar, about ten minutes down the road. He gave me 2 KD towards the fare.
"One KD more to Bneid Al-Gar, yes?" Sven addressed the driver.
"Two KD to Bneid Al-Gar. Four Salwa to Bneid Al-Gar."
"No. ONE KD to Bneid Al-Gar."
"Two to Salmiya. Four to Bneid Al-Gar."
"It's all right, Sven," I said. "I'll pay the extra two."
"You sure? Okay, see you tomorrow."
We drove to Bneid Al-Gar. I thought that I should have taken the bus instead but I'd splurge just this once.
When we arrived, I didn't have 4 KD so I gave the driver a 5 and waited for change. He looked at me.
"2 to Salmiya. 4 to Bneid Al-Gar. 6 KD."
Now I got angry.
"Are you crazy? Even 4 is a rip-off!"
He insisted on 6. I got really angry and yelled at him that he was crazy. I told him to give me back the 5 and he wasn't getting anything. After a few minutes of him insisting on six and me angrily berating him, he gave me back 1 KD. I got out and called him a "Bad Muslim" and slammed the door.
Earlier today:
I boarded the bus in Salmiya and paid 150 fils.
"Salwa?" I asked the driver.
"Yes, Salwa." I was on the right bus.
An Indian woman patted the seat next to her and I sat down. The man behind us was laughing as his granddaughter squealed over the giant dog we saw in the pick-up truck next to the bus. The driver laughed at her apparent delight.
"That's a huge dog," I said to the little girl. Her eyes danced.
The driver let me off right across the street from The Palms Hotel.
*1 KD=$3.40
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