Off the cuff: A march of rodents in Jeddah

Photo credit: Archivbild / Pixabay

After a delightful Iftar this Ramadan with family, my wife and I drove by and parked on a semi-deserted strip of the Jeddah Corniche. There aren’t many such strips here that offer a visitor a pristine view of the Red Sea. The thoughtless construction and unscrupulous architecture of the past have turned what was once a delight for the senses into a cast of unsightly concrete blocks and twisted steel. Well

Since the weather was still pleasant, we decided to take a stroll out of the vehicle. The cool breeze mixed with the spray of salt water was pleasant and refreshing indeed. The waves as they crashed on the breakers calmed the ears. It was calm in its simplest form.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that something was scurrying between the large rocks that were breaking the coast. It was there for a moment, but then quickly disappeared between the crevices. I wasn’t sure what I had seen and didn’t want to worry my other half, who was content to bask in the pleasant atmosphere. A few steps down I noticed more movement. This time I was on silent alert but couldn’t swear in the dark whether it was a cat or a rat.

We gently led my other half to one of the benches that had those few remaining strips on it and sat facing the Red Sea. Only this time I was on high alert and didn’t know what my partner was talking about, but from time to time I nodded my head in agreement. My mind and eyes were on a covert mission. I just had to find out who or what these creatures of the night were.

Aha, there was one and it was a rat. Big enough to be mistaken for a not fully matured cat, but still a rat. Pearl-eyed and dark, it quickly made its way to a slice of pizza that was undoubtedly thrown onto the rocks by one of our exemplary citizens. By this point my partner had found out I was elsewhere and after moving my head he saw the rat snatch the piece of pizza between its sharp jaws and scurry away.

Now that women are what they are, she didn’t want another part of the Corniche and insisted that we end this excursion immediately. Terror must have been behind their deliberations. We retired to the safety and sanctity of our vehicle, whereupon she treated me with a lengthy analysis of the hygiene habits of our exemplary citizens, who practically littered the corniche with fast food and other goodies while trash cans stayed empty a few yards away.

That was a quick end to a pleasant excursion. On the way back, I realized that this section of the Corniche was not the only place where rats were seen. You see, rats come in many shapes and forms. These vermin are often disguised and tossed around in various guises. There are rodents who, for example, disregard the rules of a queue and run straight to the top of the line while you patiently wait for your turn.

Then there are those others disguised as civil bureaucrats who take great pleasure in delaying what you are trying to get to grips with. Despite the fact that much of our public service work has been automated and can be done online, there is still a need for people. And some take pleasure in your frustrations as they conveniently wipe your urgent business with a flash of their bulging eyes. The spirit of urgency only hits her when it is time for her to go home. They did their evil deed for that day.

Or how about those bugs wandering around the souks staring at the women or making things uncomfortable for all other patrons in general. Or the rats that lurk behind counters and refuse to take back a defective product, or who don’t allow you to swap it for something else.

And let’s not forget the vermin of the street fighters. They need to be careful to use their faulty skills behind the wheel to drive you off the road. And if they don’t, they’ll surely let you know in a different friendly way. Maybe a seismic explosion in your eardrum.

Oh yes, look long and hard enough and you will see rats or their feces all over the place. And what alarms me about all of this is that the cockroaches aren’t far behind. Well, if only we can find the antidote.

– Tariq A. Al Maeena is a sociopolitical commentator from Saudi Arabia. He lives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Twitter: @talmaeena