Scary suburbs of We7dat!!
Ever since I became a student in the university, we7dat was a daily station on the way to and from where I lived. Sometimes when I had to stay late for a lab or an exam or even a late lecture, I used to wait for the bus to complete its very long route and come back; by the time the bus sets off again to We7dat, it would be at least 6 or 7 in the evening.
The bus route was as follows: it sets off from the main gate of University of Jordan in the direction of Sports City. Once we reach the Sports City Roundabout, the bus takes the right road and goes all the way to King Abdullah Gardens where it takes the right road again all the way to 5th circle and down to Abdoun Valley. From the traffic light, it takes the left and goes all the way down to Ras Al Ein. From the tobacco company it goes all the way down to Amman Municipality where it heads right again to pass all Ras Al Ein. Facing another traffic light at the end of the road, the bus heads left again and goes up to We7dat; then it turns right again and takes Madaba Street till it reaches the final station at Al Sharq Al Awsat.
I used to take this very long route because it was the only one available at the time, and when we reach the Sahab bus station on Madaba Street; I used to step down just a few meters away from the last station.
Since the bus station was not on the main road, we had to pass through a very narrow dark alley to reach it. Most of the time we used to pass young boys just larking in the dark and smoking cigarettes and we could feel their eyes set on us; that’s why we always traveled in groups; never alone.
There was a body building club next to the bus station and all the guys there looked creepy especially for teenagers and young girls like us. The trip from the university to the bus station used to last for at least one and a half hours because of all the stops that it makes along the way, so by the time we reached the station, we were exhausted and late for the parents who are waiting impatiently for us to arrive.
Now that I have a car, I do not take that route ever, not only because it is a long one, but because the traffic is crazy and people are ruthless.
Last night; me and my sister decided that we wanted to buy some Kunafah, so we took that route to pass by 7abibah that is located on Madaba street. Since it is a no parking area there, one of us must stay in the car and that would be me because I am the driver, and one goes to the cashier and buys the stuff as fast as possible.
There were many boys and men going round and around; my sister was so afraid to step out of the car because they were looking at us in a very strange scary way. As she got out of the car, a 10 year old kid jumped in front of her and started begging for money, but she ran off into the store and of course he could not follow her or they would have kicked him out.
You might think; what harm can a 10 year old kid do? Believe me; he was very scary and I did not like the look in his eyes; hungry, demanding, fearless and ruthless.
When my sister ran in the store, he came to my window and started begging me for money; when I refused to oblige, he started banging my window with all the strength he had in him. I tried to ignore it because I did not want to create a scene because he most probably belongs to a gang that is around. He kept banging and I kept ignoring and moving the car forward hoping that he would get fed up and leave me alone, but no, that is not on the agenda.
Luckily; by the time I was ready to call for the policeman standing a few meters away; my sister came to the car and I was almost certain that one of these guys will snatch her purse but thank God for that policeman. The poor girl was so scared and said that she felt that someone would kidnap her from the looks in their eyes.
It makes me really sad when I see such things in our country, and I would never walk alone in these areas because they are really scary. I wonder what happened during these last 10 years and why people have changed so much. People were poor then and are poor now so it is not poverty in my opinion. Somewhere along the way, people have lost their touch with integrity and real Arab mentality, cheap video clips and the clothes that are becoming smaller are a major factor in the depravity and hunger that people are suffering from. I have been thinking since last night about this and am wondering if there is something we can do … any suggestions?
January 11th, 2007 at 10:21 am
Woooow is this Amman or Chicago ??
7amdellah 3ala asalameh
January 11th, 2007 at 10:56 am
That look that you saw in the 10 year old eyes was most likely desperation and not ‘ruthless’ there is a huge difference. Now as far as any suggestions a practical one albeit in hindsight would’ve been for you to have talked to the 10 year old kid. Simple kind words even if you did so with the window cracked. You should have told him you would give him a piece of your Kunafah. He’s a kid he would have been happy.
You would have made a difference for you and him. Your fears would have been slightly alleviated and his desperation would’ve been temporarily relieved. You asked for a suggestion and I gave you one.
January 11th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
7usam,
wallah bedha
No1,
Believe me, if I felt this was right at the time, I would have done it … but these kids belong to gangs, the minute you show affection they will jump you for more and the minute you show aggression, they will jump you to hurt you … so you are damned if you do and damned if you don’t
I wish it was desperation look as you say … but I guess I can tell the difference between being desperate and being ruthless …
January 11th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
Is We7dat the town with the huge satellite dishes? I have never seen poverty like I’ve seen there. A really, really sad place. The blank stare and despair is on everyone’s face there and I can barely get myself to look out the car window.
Luckily that boy didn’t damage your car. I’ve been witness to that taking place after someone refused to buy something from those who would roam through cars lined up at the traffic lights.
The last paragraph says it all. There is a much longer gap between the “haves” and the “have nots” from years past. Big bucks being thrown around like the world is coming to an end. The resiliency of the poor has always impressed me and not just in Jordan but worldwide including Palestine, most African nations, the far east. But the desperation in some certainly has reached an all time high where crime is seen as the only alternative. I remember hearing stories from my parents where the houses were never locked, small children would walk in the streets alone and Jordan was relatively a safe to live. Now we have murders for a few grams of gold, robberies for a couple dinars, friends killing one another over small debts, and people so desperate they are selling their organs.
Unfortunately, this poverty problem is bigger than any one person, or even hundreds of people, but I think we can each do our own little things to help. If we can help one person/family then it is certainly worth it. Why not sponsor a family to “care” for their needs. Not all of them, but whatever you can afford to do. Not to toot my own horn, but usually I will forgo something and instead use that money to help someone in need. For example, I say to myself “I really don’t need that DVD” this money could be used in better ways. Maybe I will bring my lunch to work rather than eating out. And so on and so forth. I have a little box in my room that I collect all that unspent money in. In a year I’m able to collect several hundred dollars. Besides the money taken out of my pay to United Way for my local community, this money I save goes with me to Jordan. Every year I do something different with it. One of my favorite things is buying sheep and distributing the meat. Another time I just gave out money 20 to each family. And everyone knows who the poor are in their neighborhoods, you just ask. Some are not so willing to take an offering so you just have to accept that. I was hurt one time an old man refused to take the bag from my hand. I guess his pride got the better of him. Another year I gave money to a relative who was a teacher to buy supplies for those students whose family couldn’t afford them. It really doesn’t have to be about just giving money. You could give your time and skills by volunteering to certain causes and organizations that help bridge the gap and build understanding.
January 11th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
I tend to agree with Khalidah that it’s not only the poverty. People have been extremely poor, miserably poor for a long time, but the gap with the oither areas of Amman is gigantic. Not the econimic gap but everything in life is different than in other areas of Amman.
It’s sad to see how the streets of Amman are not becoming as safe as they used to be, especially for girls.