The Two Wheel Terror!

Speaking about the horrors of motorcycles in Lebanon is akin to a broken record. There is virtually no poor soul, whether in the cosmopolitan of the city or the backwaters of the country, who hasn’t been a victim of this menace. It has been an epidemic and there are no signs this is going to go away.

The root of the problem is that there is no accountability when it comes to motorcycle drivers. No matter what accident they go through, the other driver has to pay for it. Even if the vehicle is parked on the sidewalk, the owner is responsible for all the reprimands. It’s terrifying for some to drive because the threat of imminent death or even landing in prison is a real possibility. At any given moment, you could be set upon ambush style by a bunch of motorcycles whizzing between congested traffic kamikaze-style just for the merit of shaving off a few seconds off of what seems to be their ongoing attempt to break the world Guinness Record for the fastest commute.

This has to be resolved and it had to happen years ago. Children as young as five years old are riding motorcycles and losing their lives two streets away from their house. Grownups are afraid to never return home because they are a number in the morgue or having their mug shots taken for prison. Death can also come from a disgruntled motorcyclist who might just take out a gun and shoot to kill. Others lose years paying for an accident they had no blame just because some speed junkie choose to ram into them. All of that is disregarding the daily stress that each driver and pedestrian faces on the road because of them. We are bullied on a regular basis and our personal space is invaded by reckless drivers with not a care in the world.

We cannot deny that the roads are no longer safe. Lebanon has been renowned for reckless driving, but things have been blown out of acceptable proportions. All the unlicensed bikes need to be destroyed and unless an adult has a permit to do so, they should not be allowed on a motorcycle. And these rules should be enforced without any nepotism or discrimination. It’s the only way to preserve our society.