potakas

Well, I had. In the last two years I spent 13 days in hotels, I went from EDI to LHR or LHR-EDI 4 times with the rail or coach because the airports were closed. And had totally 12 flights canceled (Ash disruption excluded).

My point is that every country has things that doesn't make our life easier. In Dubai they pray 4-5 or 7 times per day, in UK if the weather is just bad with some winds or 10cm of snow the airports will close, the security measures are very tight because their foreign affairs and actions make the UK a target (also the passengers) . In my home country Greece, very often they have strikes (which is the worst in terms of be a tourist or even living in a country.

Every country has its plus and minus and everyone is considering those in order to decide where to spend his time. It is not that bad the fact that you cannot get a taxi for 15 minutes * 5 times a day. As others said in some places you cannot get a taxi all the day.

In NYC the shift change is during the rush our and there is no reason for that (it is not their culture/religion that obligates them to do that)

FlyerTalker688786

Agreed. and sorry for your experience.

In Dubai it is not 15 minutes five times a day. It is 35 minutes plus. You know why? The taxi drivers have their prefered mosques to pray. They do not go to the mosques nearby unless very desprated. So if you are not enroute to their favourite mosques, you are likely to be waiting forever. The driver will aim to arrive on time to their mosques from one side to another side. It usualy takes a while. Then you have to wait for them to finish pray and then go on road again before they decide to pray again. 35 minutes you are lucky. Once I have to wait for 45 minutes in the heat outside the metro station as the train was running for the noon pray until one lucky driver come along.

Yahillwe

Well one has to adjust. It is frustrating, but one manages. There rare 5 prayers. Dawn, and I am sure this one doesn't disrupt anybody's time. Noon, afternoon, sundown and evening. Just adjust your times


At this very moment in NY there is the Porto Rican parade, can't move and go to my favourite places to finish last minute shopping. All the roads areound 5th Ave are blocked from 10am-7pm, does that mean I don't like NY? And almost every other weekend there is some sort of Parade, one has to live with that.


Simple, don't complicate life.

Yahillwe

I am not such a good Muslim, but a good human being, and know of only 5 prayers. One can do extra rukaat but only don't during the prayer. And one can do their prayers anywhere as long as it is clean. Have seen them praying on Park Ave in NY, one really doesn't need to go to the mosque really. Except for the Friday prayers, where one goes to the mosque to hear the sermon. That is why most of the riots are on Fridays after prayers.


And no I do not take offense at all, that is your experience, but it doesn't mean that it happens all the time.

potakas

Haha, I had the same problem last time I was there, couldn't blame anyone though... it was the Greek one

Yahillwe

It seems that NY knows when I am in town and they schedule a parade in my honor every time. Saw the Greek one, as well as the ladies with their hats in the spring, the isreali one, gay one, macy's ... You name they didn't it all in MY honor, how do they know my schedule is a mystery to me, maybe BA informs them and they scramble to create a parade. Ohh Irish. But never a British one, wonder why not?

Fruitcake

Thankyou! We have a mutual admiration society, I think.

On another matter, I enjoyed my one visit to Dubai and am hoping to visit again next year. I enjoyed the January weather, was never held up by praying - though would have respected that - and found the mixture of old and new interesting. Dubai is quite a phenomenon!

However, that was as a straight man not seeking to get off with anybody. I quite see that for LGBT people it would be a different story and that is not good. I am unsure whether that means I should not go again.

T8191

Hey, folks, can we stop this side issue? ... it is getting just a wee bit uncomfortable.

If a Muslim wants to stop and pray 5 times a day, that's his/her right.
If an American city wants to close down to celebrate an Irish Saint, that's their business.
If London wants to celebrate the Queen's Official Birthday, that's their business too.
Oh, and you UK TP runners ... JER shops are closed on Sunday. Something to do with our God, I think.

I do find the expectations of some people, in that everything will revolve around their needs/desires, a bit sad. Can we all chill a bit, eh?

hsmall

As a gay man also not seeking to get off with anyone (not all of us do, you know ), I would respectfully urge you (as would I) to give them a wide birth if you have any discretionary spend: they are no different from apartheid South Africa. I recognise, however, that reasonable people can disagree, just as they did with respect to South African boycotts, as to whether reform is best carried forward by engagement with the bigots or boycotting them.

sunrisegirl

Sorry only just seen this.

Nothing to do with anything on TV - which I can't honestly recall seeing, except vague recollections of something with Piers Morgan.

But I'd rather remember the Dubai I visited 20 years ago as a lovely undeveloped place in the Middle East where you could enjoy the beach on one day, and have a wonderful visit to the desert the next. I've no doubt you can still do that, but the fact it's so commercial and built up with all that concrete now (and that can't be hidden by TV, brochures or the like) is the main thing that turns me off.

One of my colleagues goes about 6-8 times a year and adores the place, but it's all too fake for me now. Sorry.

T8191

I remember the Singapore of the late 60s, when the island was much smaller and smelled horrendous in the wrong weather!!
UK used to be quite nice in the 60s as well

However, a 'fake Dubai' with winter sunshine might be better than ... "Heathrow fit for purpose?" in the snow.

Cue next dramatic thread deviation

DYKWIA

No actually, my best friends are all straight. What's that got to do with the price of fish?

The guy I worked with had no problem living with his partner.

I agree that they wouldn't hold hands or snog, but as other have pointed out, they probably wouldn't do that in most places.

Stez

I'll take the Heathrow fit for purpose in the snow over sunny Dubai anyway... ...more chance of not going to work

PUCCI GALORE

Quite. I have no time for any sort of discrimination and all I will say if that my retired policeman husband adores and would go to the ends of the earth for mý best friend who is gayer than a goose.

This OMNI territory.

Heathrow is overcrowded and creaking at the seams. The OP is creaking and overcrowded at the seams. I adore the OP and constantly have to apologise about the deficiencies of Heathrow. I actually do the same for the OP but I blame her hot tub!!

T8191

Et salute, setis comam, Imperatrix