Saturday, August 04, 2007

Jordanians are drinking ... Why I'm not saying Cheers


Drinking is becoming more acceptable in Jordan (at least Amman). I'm not sure if it's more common, because people always drank but it was something frowned upon in Jordan for the past couple of decades, unless you're Christian then people assume you drink, but you shouldn't be encouraging it or bragging about it.

I respect every adult's choice to drink, or smoke, or dance naked on a table inside his house, but we should know better that with freedom comes responsibility.

Teenagers as young as 15 years of age can drink and get drunk in many places inside Amman. I'm not really aware of the drinking age in Jordan because I was never told, even in the driving lesson classes, that it mattered.

People do drink and drive in Amman's streets every night, and people do have accidents because of drinking. Policemen do not investigate and driving under the influence unless the smell of alcohol is all over.

I drink. I adore Fuhaisi wine or a good cold Jordanian Amstel (could never find anything like it in the US), but our society is more tolerant to everything bad that comes with drinking (and smoking) than most societies in the West.

In Germany if you're caught driving with even a very minute amount of alcohol in your blood, your licence is suspended for 2 years. In the US you pay a fortune and attend classes and if it happens again you'll go to jail, and still pay a fortune.

In Jordan, unless you cause an accident, it's "frowned upon".

If you diagree with me go check some of the cheap bars where taxi drivers stop by at night, get a few drinks and then resume driving. If you're saying "A votre santé" several time at night, you probably don't mean it to others.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I agree with you..Maybe drinking and enjoying it is something personal, but you ought to watch out for people you may threat or harm.
Hopefully, the Government pays attention to this issue, before it becomes too late.

Maioush said...

Irrelevant comment:
LOOOOOOL @ “For questions, complaints or insults email me at…” :D

Mohanned said...

You are 100% correct, I remember thursday nights in amman, the whole city smells like a hospital..And you are right there is no such thing called DUI in jordan..Zay ma tgool sar7a wel rab ra3eeha el 3alam:)

Anonymous said...

can i tell u a secret. the goverment knows that, but does not need another headeck. ask me how? imagen if the goverment come up with piece of legislation that prohibit drinking and driving. world war 3 will start in jordan over this , cuz jordan is this , jordan is that, and blah blah blah.
this is a job of people who are welling to stand to the bo3 bo3 in the jordanian politics. oh,or is that no secret any more :)

Anonymous said...

exuse the typo
headache lol

Anonymous said...

Ta7sheesh!! I was about to say how this also worries me , since every youngish man/woman in amman think they can take drinking nicely, and don't need to be driven around after drinking, no one would admit that drinking could actually affect your driving..they all claim that they just drank but are not drunk therefore can drive safely even after three black labels..well anyways, then I spotted your blog roll and saw the word Beace and thought wow , what a cool name for a blog, why didn't I think of it, when I realized it was linking to me:) I love it!thanks..I just might start a new blog and call it that!

ma7joob said...

yup , totally agree with you , and what's even worse is that it's becoming the "new cool thing" , ppl BRAG about drinking and driving , it's sad , lets hope that someone from the government will do something about it



PS: bob dylen was in your town and you didn't go !!!!!!!!! I HATE YOU :(

Anonymous said...

I remember the government forced shops not to sell cigarettes to teenagers and forced them to put a sign that says: "cigarettes are not being sold for those less than 18 years old", I didn’t see such signs in Liquor stores.

Also in Jordan it is forbidden to advertise for cigarettes but it is allowed to advertise for alcohols, to me both are bad and can negatively affect the community, but at least smokers are awake and are aware of what they are doing, unlike drunken people.

Salamonti said...

ma3ggol el wade3 heek?

The Observer said...

I agree with you! While I have no problem with people drinking, I find it disturbing to know about the amount of people who drink and drive in Jordan especially young men who think it is a cool act where they end either harming themselves or killing someone on the road!

yzzzz said...

Don't forget the element of coolism in this issue..I know people who drink because it is cool..you know..to go with the flow (man)..and some even brag about that they don't drink unless they have good cash..because their waste limits are hard to reach..kollo faye3..you find everything now in Amman.

Hareega said...

thanks guys for all of your comments, very useful

Anonymous said...

Well said, and I agree with Sophia. The government should do something about it because it is not a joke.

Dan said...

Drinking is not good. My friend Karim died a year ago because he was drinking a lot of whiskey after taking generic viagra and that taught me not to drink liquor ever again.