I am still replaying this occurrence in my mind and wondering exactly what happened, so perhaps it is best to get some feedback from you.
I arrived in Bahrain around 10pm and after a lengthy wait to obtain a visa (a total ripoff at $45 for an overnight transit visa) followed by a failed attempt to summon the shuttle from my hotel, I stepped out to the taxi rank.
A short Bahraini man in traditional garb named Muhammad stepped out of his car and with a grin came running up to me and helped place my bags in his trunk.
I sat down in the front passenger seat and we took off. He seemed very familiar with the hotel, named the Imperial Suites, but wanted to call it anyway to confirm he was driving to the correct place. Fine.
Then our conversation took a turn for the weird.
MUHAMMAD: What is your name? You’re very handsome person.
ME: Matthew.
MUHAMMAD: Oh! Beautiful name.
ME: What is your name?
MUHAMMAD: Muhammad.
ME: You were born here?
MUHAMMAD: Yes. Are you married?
ME: Yes.
MUHAMMAD: Oh, where is your wife? How many kids you have?
ME: We have only been married for six months. No kids yet. Are you married? How many children?
MUHAMMAD [giggling and waving his hand]: No, no marriage for me.
ME: Do you want marriage or kids?
MUHAMMAD: No, more fun without it.
ME: Being single does have its advantages.
MUHAMMAD: How long you stay here?
ME: Just till tomorrow afternoon.
MUHAMMAD: Then where you go?
ME: Dubai.
MUHAMMAD: Oh, I wish you stay longer.
* * *
We arrived at the hotel and the meter read 7.235 Dinar (about $19). I handed him 8 dinars and with a frown on his face he remarked:
MUHAMMAD: This not enough. Meter wrong.
ME: What do you mean?
MUHAMMAD: You my first customer tonight. I wait since 5:30 at airport for passenger.
ME: Well, this is all the money I have.
MUHAMMAD: Oh, no problem my friend. I just want make you happy. No problem.
A bellman arrived to take my bags in but Muhammad shooed him away.
MUHAMMAD: I take your bags in for you.
ME: The hotel can do it. Thank you, though.
MUHAMMAD: No, no I do it.
ME: Okay.
Inside Muhammad followed me to the front desk and stood silently with a big crap-eating grin spread across his face.
After I received my room key, he said…
MUHAMMAD: I come upstairs with you?
[I don’t think his English was good enough for that double entendre to be deliberate…]
ME: No thanks, I am fine.
MUHAMMAD: I come upstairs with you.
ME: Uhh…no.
MUHAMMAD: Please, I here for you.
ME: No thanks. Goodnight.
MUHAMMAD: Ok, goodnight.
And with that, I stepped into the elevator and it was the last I saw of Muhammad.
So dear readers, was this just a harmless 45-year old taxi driver trying to be hospitable in welcoming me to Manama, Bahrain or was it something…more?
This was not my Muhammad.
Homosexuality is rampant in Muslim countries due to strict segregation of the genders. It would not surprise me either way.
The episode strikes me as a guy who doesn’t have a very strong command of English trying to finagle a larger tip out of you. He probably didn’t believe you when you said you didn’t have any more money (all Americans are filthy rich, after all), and hoped for a couple of extra dinars if he brought your bags up.
@Hans: I don’t think homosexuality is more “rampant” in Muslim countries than anywhere else. I would just say it is as common as anywhere else.
As for the story at hand, I would tend to agree with @MEANMEOSH. I think he wanted to take the bags all the way up, hoping for a bigger tip.
Holly crap!!!!! I would not have the same patience you had.
Well;
Other than the fact that this is interesting, I can not say that I’m surprised. Bahrain is a very poor country in terms of economy, but one thing about Bahrani people. They are nice and would try their best to please anybody, is it because they were brought up this way or because of the poor economy? That is something I can not answer, but I would say the latter as it is common to see a doctor working as a taxi driver because he needs to feed his family.
Could it be a proposal? Yes, especially after he heard that you are going to Dubai. Mr Hans, Homosexuality is everywhere and implying that gender segregation is a cause, is idiotic. I’m from Kuwait as I said and I wear the scarf by choice and I have been wearing it since I was 16. I didn’t turn to be sexually deprived nor suppressed.
Ha Ha..
Sounds like someone who may be not 100% familiar with how to interact with an American and with not the best English skills, but wanting to earn another fee for service. I had similar happen to me in India. When the driver followed me into the lobby (of a hotel that unusually did not have a doorman to grab my bag or stop the driver because I self-carry) and offered to move my luggage for me, I just told him “I’m good from here, here’s something extra for you, I appreciate your good service, good night” and he smiled and walked away happy (without me having to escalate to the desk clerk).
I had already paid the fare including a tip (maybe my tip encouraged him to try for more tips?). Part of me still wonders if there was a theft scam happening, frankly, as I’ve never otherwise had something similar happen. I’m not comfortable with non-hotel staff knowing my room number or being in my room.
I think he wanted to take a cruise on the S.S. Klint.
I think you guys would have had a great time together… 😉
Bit late but oh well…
The taxi driver was definitely hitting on you.
In Dubai (where all the taxi drivers are foreign, no UAE nationals), majority are from Pakistani or Afghani (minority might be Yemeni, Egyptian etc.), leave their wives behind in their countries, and in Dubai are ‘bachelors.’ Classic example of a conversation would be where you from? married or single? So your wife is in your country…do you get lonely? Then how you have fun?
The Bahraini taxi driver, if he wanted to be of service, could have offered to drive you back to the airport the next day, for example. He knows that your hotel has a bellboy to take the bags up. Taxi drivers in Bahrain/the Gulf never take your luggage up, in fact they aren’t obliged to help you get the bag out of the car trunk.
The driver instead told you that you have a ‘beautiful’ name (even non-native speakers know beautiful isn’t a word you use to another man) and that he was not only not married, but that ‘marriage was not for him.’ Also, he wishes you stay longer in Bahrain (he just met you!).
This is how gay men/men looking for homosexual activity cruise/make passes at other men in …by saying very suggestive things but ultimately never saying anything specific that you can hold them to.
Yep. He was hitting on you.
Its unlikely he was hitting on you. More likely he was pimping.
Yuck.