Monday, Dec 05, 2005
Rajkumar Maghanmal Pancholia, director of Arabian Trading Agency, was on the first Gulf News Fun Drive on Friday, March 28, 1986.
"And on every single one since. I like to travel in the desert. Like to help people who're stuck in the sand, even if I'm not a marshal."
"We do a lot of desert driving, but we don't stay out all night. Only with the Gulf News Fun Drive do I do an overnighter, because it's so well organised."
Saeed Jaafar Al Awadhi, board member, Emirates Thalassemia Society, was only 12 when he went on his first Fun Drive in 1990. Again, he has been on every Fun Drive.
"I remember we were driving down from Hatta and we saw all these cars coming with number stickers on them. My father found out they were taking part in the Fun Drive. So, the next year, we too went on the drive."
"Earlier, I remember, there were very few Emiratis taking part. Now, we have a big group of friends whom we meet only during the drive."
"I love the Fun Drive. I can leave everything for it. We may have gone to Thailand for a holiday, but I wanted to do this."
Gulf NewsGulf News does this very well. It is safe and secure, there is a clear route map and there are plenty of marshals."
"Participants must realise this is not a race, it is a FUN drive. Be ready for fun, don?t race and hurt yourself or others."
Ahmad M. Saleh is in the administration department of Jafza. He has been on the Fun Drive since 1987-88.
"I forget how many Fun Drives I've done. I've been everywhere, Fujairah, Al Ain, Hatta, everywhere."
"If it's not good, I?d go just once and say khallas, khalli-walli, no more. I go again and again because it's good. It's very well organised and we all go, friends and family."
"In the Fun Drive we get to meet all kinds of people who love driving in the desert. British, American, Arab, Indian, Pakistani, French - we're all friends and we all help each other."
"I'm taking in a brand new Toyota LandCruiser this time. Lots of people I know go driving in brand new cars."
New plansNew plans
Dr Syed Javed Afzal, doctor-businessman, has just bought a Toyota LandCruiser, only to take part in the Fun Drive.
"I drive a Mercedes and I bought this car just for the Fun Drive. My wife will drive it afterwards and, hopefully, we will also do more desert driving."
"I saw the advertisement on Friday. Rushed out and looked at cars and on Sunday, we finalised the deal."
"I'll be going out in the car with my wife, Dr Zeerak, and my sons Azeem, 12, and Azam, 8. This will be my first desert drive. We're not scared at all. We'll be part of a large group and we know we'll be safe. We're just very excited about it."
Irfan Bashir, service manager, Al Futtaim Motors, has been a marshal since 1992. His daughter Amaani, 8, will be doing his navigation. She went for her first Fun Drive at 3.
Amaani: "I like being in a car. This is my 6th Fun Drive. I like being in a car going through the desert and I really like moving over sand dunes. I went for a drive-through with my father [and other marshals] and I saw sheep and a two-humped camel and a gazelle."
"I'm going to navigate for my father. I can read the map. My favourite subjects in school [Delhi Private School, Sharjah] are science and maths. I love numbers."
Irfan: "I'm fond of driving. In summer, we drove from Sydney to Brisbane, about a thousand kilometres. I've been to Umrah, a round trip of about 3,000 kms."
"I really like desert driving, it's a special skill and you have to develop it. People often say it depends on the car, but it only half depends on the car. You could have the best of cars and be a poor desert driver. You need to get a feel of the sand and how the car will behave in the sand, what it can do and what it can't."
"People should never blame the car if something goes wrong; drivers themselves are to blame."
"People should never blame the car if something goes wrong; drivers themselves are to blame."Gulf News 2005. All rights reserved.
