Conspicuous Consumption

So I bought a car. There are used cars for sale on camp but I was warned by quite a few people, including Saudis, not to buy a used car driven by a Saudi. Surprisingly, used car prices are rather high considering the difficult conditions here--many cars are never parked in a garage so the finish is gone in just a few years, rubber bits quickly dry and crack, and batteries never last more than 2 years (and that's if you are lucky).

Quite a few women have mini cars. Toyota, Chevy, Suzuki, Kia, and others all make teeny tiny little cars that are indeed suitable for camp driving. While quite cheap, none of these cars have airbags or ABS and just don't seem safe to me. Plus, I had trouble getting into a couple of them--they aren't designed for tall American frames.

I ended up buying a 2009 Tata Indigo. Tata is an Indian company whose reputation has been based for decades on their heavy equipment: bulldozers and dump trucks and the like. Just a few years ago they branched out into passenger cars.


The Indigo is a mini-crossover sort of thing kind of like a Subaru Forester, only not as nice. It has a hatchback opening, four passenger doors, easily seats 5 adults with room for luggage. But best of all, the rear seats fold over and nest up against the front seats, leaving the entire rear cargo area open. You can get an idea of that space from the pic at the top of the blog.

I decided that I needed a car that I could easily toss the dogs into--and it has proven to be an excellent choice for that. The dogs love their nice carpet in the back and they like being able to look out the windows.


But I selected this car for another reason. If the shit really comes down, I can drive this car to the Emirates or even Kuwait to the American military bases there. It is large enough for me to safely navigate the highways--the mini camp cars would not provide this option. Like other expats, I plan to prepare food, water, and fuel and keep it ready. Many left this way in 2001 and again in 2004 when bombs were dropping less than a kilometer from camp.

Ed. Note: The business in 2004 was not connected with the business in Iraq.

Okay, okay, don't get all wound up. Saudis beefed up security significantly since 2004. Saudi military armed with automatic weapons are posted outside camp while all camp gates are manned by security guys wearing bulletproof vests and guns. I was wrong when I initially said camp was not fenced--it is entirely fenced with 10-foot high, electrified, razor-wired fencing with cameras and lights every 40 feet or so. I've walked along the fenceline in my forays with the dogs.

In addition to all of that, heavily armed F16s, positively bristling with missiles, take off from the airbase south of camp, fly low over camp, and head for the Yemen border every day.

Through the looking glass.

But back to the car. It is new, has a warranty, and the dealer is in Khobar so I can easily get parts and service. The price was right--and I paid cash for it so it is mine, all mine.

I had been renting a car and quickly learned the truth of advice I'd received from quite a few people: without a car, it is hard to have a social life. Since the commissary, library, gym, vet, and other amenities are in main camp and I live in the Hills, even taking care of basic tasks is now so much simpler. I am not tied to the bus and can drive in to work on days I know I need to stay late or run an errand during the day.

Sure, the car is cheap and plasticky. It didn't even come with floor mats. There are small motorcylces with larger engines than this car. But it should do the job for several years!