Why do people go to Dubai? My Uncle lived in Kuwait a while, so one year my parents treated us to Christmas in Kuwait, and then we went to Dubai for a few days since we were in the region. That's why I went to Dubai.

I was not impressed with Dubai. I preferred Kuwait. The souks were much nicer, more geared to the local crowd and less kitschy souvenirs. The famous malls of Dubai were... malls. I did enjoy the non-alcoholic beverages though. Much wider variety than back home, as you might expect. Especially the jellab.

Would I go to Dubai on my own dime? I would not. If I want to see the Arab or Islamic world again I'd rather go to Egypt. Or maybe Morocco. I wouldn't mind taking the kids to Israel/Palestine during a calm window. Or Jordan.. I'd like to see Petra. Even Iraq if things every settle there. Or Turkey. There are many other places I'd rather go.

But Dubai... I'm with you. Like Saudi, they're extra brutal. I mean all the Muslim countries are sexist and brutal but the gulf states take it to an extreme level. And they don't have the cool cultural stuff to make it worthwhile. Even Iran would be better, at least they have the whole Persia stuff to make it interesting.

If for some reason I went to Dubai again, I would certainly not vape, drink alcohol, flirt with anyone, or let my daughters out of my sight even if they were adults.

Amy, you should travel more in France. Paris is nice, but I think there are other towns that are nicer.

Check the streets of Los Angeles for the results of permissive drug laws - which are driven by public opinion.

Anybody taking a dump on the street in Dubai?

We're just at different points in that social cycle: prosperity, apathy, decline to poverty. Pick a spot.

And it is easy to see what the laws are in destination nations. Not every nation wants to let you do what you please, because so many - the majority for some things - abandon all duty as a citizen, since that's pretty low on the list of fun things to do.

"Why Do People Go To Dubai, A Human Rights Hellhole?"

For the people I know, business mostly. It is still a big part of middle east oil business.

Rad, middle east brutality goes way beyond what you are talking about. The whole one day marriage stuff really highlights that. Since you can't execute a virgin woman under sharia you forcibly marry her to a prison guard, have him rape her, and then execute her the next day. Not exactly behavior that encourages prosperity. Without mineral wealth to sell there is no prosperity over there.

People here take their safety for granted but then go on about how the US is the worst place ever. Going to someplace like Dubai or Thailand where you can go to jail for insulting the king or hiking in the mountains of Iraq as a starry-eyed tourist is simply naive. If people were more aware of how dangerous much of the world is, they wouldn't rag so much on the US. My friend traveling around Africa had a fake wallet in his pocket to hand to muggers since he got robbed so often. In China our hosts told us do not ever go out shopping after dark.

When in Rome and all that.

Here, hold my Warmbier.

If people were more aware of how dangerous much of the world is, they wouldn't rag so much on the US. ~ cc at October 15, 2021 11:32 AM

I worked with two people who'd worked in Colombia, one in an office and the other on an oil rig. Both told horror stories of the warnings they'd received, and the experiences they'd had, of violence against foreigners there.

I also worked with a woman who was from Colombia. She was born into a wealthy family, so her experiences in Colombia were quite different.

Yes, it is a good question "why would someone go to Dubai?"

But, an even further question is why would someone go to such a place and bring "illegal" drugs?

The ol' "know before you go" is always a good thing to ask about.

"Why Do People Go To Dubai, A Human Rights Hellhole?"

Because people will go where the money is.

And of course, the other reason people go to these places is so they can enjoy a day at the beach without the unpleasant feeling that the service is also enjoying a day in the same beach as them.

Dubai and the other Middle-East hellholes are easy to avoid (unless you're an oil-field worker or high-rise construction worker lured by the high pay), but Singapore is not. Close to half the world's shipping passes through the Malacca Strait, and Singapore is the main trading port there. It's also a major airline hub; if you're going to anywhere around Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia, there's a pretty good chance you'll be changing planes there.

A few years back a friend of my father landed in Turkey while the plane took small arms fire. Another friend in Columbia got mugged and left for dead in a ditch by his bodyguard. A well vetted one at that. One of my friends spent some time in Moscow on business. The hotel was amazing and the prostitutes gorgeous. Though he only got to look. They put him in the basement next to the boiler. Thankfully that job fell through. His next stop was three months in Siberia in a tent.

"Check the streets of Los Angeles for the results of permissive drug laws - which are driven by public opinion."

But if you want to see the Faces Of Meth and you're not near L.A., check the rural towns of the Bible Belt. Or the Rust Belt. Or, down South, the Sans-A-Belt.

Gonna give Charles's post the ole "Me too".

Gotta be a huge dumbass to break the laws in places with draconian punishments.

i hope i have at least one grain of sugar stuck to my soul.

Don’t use or deal drugs in Japan. The Japanese justice system is not cute and cuddly, and unlike the Middle East shit holes, you are probably not going to bribe your way out.

So you didn’t do it? You will stay in an unheated cell on short rations until you confess.