Too Close for Comfort

Okay, so if you go back to the last blog and read about my adventurous ride home the other day with the emergency response vehicles, this new one definitely put that into perspective. I could have used one of these "Rings of Steel" (look close at the lettering on the barrier)

So there I was (again) heading home after a relatively long day at the Ministry... just me and my good buddy Rob and of course our Afghan driver. We were happily chatting away about our day in the back of the van when we approached one of those dreaded traffic circles... I'm quickly learning to despise Afghan traffic circles. As we came closer, we noticed a civilian suddenly get out his vehicle for no apparent reason and just cold cock (punch) the uniformed policeman manning a security gate. Sadly, my first reaction was joy that it wasn't one of those poor traffic cops. Well, this civilian was obviously most angry and continued to punch the policeman with great violence. To his credit, the Cop recovered quickly and proceeded to fight back just as violently while attempting to grab for the automatic weapon (machine gun) on his shoulder. Now more civilians have gotten into the mix with lots of cops running in the direction... we're only about 25 feet away from this altercation. So, the original cop is now furiously grabbing for his weapon as the crowd size increases, some participating. All I can think is that I do not want to be collateral damage (hit by stray bullet). But I rapidly realize I have nowhere to take cover except behind Rob who has now turned his back to the fight in an attempt to enter into a state of denial... retired Naval helicopter pilot, so what can we expect?

My new prowess in squealling came into play once again when I "instructed" the driver to "get us the hell out of here"! After taking cover behind Rob (a large man), I noted the driver was watching this growing altercation with great entertainment... not my idea of fun. Needless to say, the squeal got his attention and he quickly maneuvered an escape route out of the danger zone. I have no idea what started or ended the fight, and honestly don't care. Too much anger on both sides and waaay too many apparent guns on the side of the very young policemen on scene; odds are that many of the civilians were packing too.

After we were walking into our safe area, Rob did note that I used his body as "cover" and found that most entertaining. He told me he was just glad I didn't pull him to the floor on top of me for better protection. Of course I'm thinking... "Darn, I should have thought of that!"

REQUEST FROM READERS: I was talking to one of our medics the other day and he advised I take Pepto Bismal in capsule form before eating Afghan food. I'm finding myself eating more food out of necessity because of my long hours at the Ministry. Don't worry, Asa only gets me food from "legitimate" restaurants but the threat of typhoid is still high. Unfortunately, I cannot find any Pepto Bismal capsules here or anywhere else, only the liquid form. So, please let me know if one of you out there can send some to me and I'll let the rest know so I'm not drowning in Pepto.

SAD NEWS: I no longer have access to my clean bathroom, the guy who owns it had locked it because too many people were coming to use this clean bathroom. A most sad occurence in my life here in Afghanistan. Truly, the fight was nothing compared to this. I'd send pictures but it's just too gross to put out in public.

Big blog hug goes out to my beautiful niece Rachel for her feedback on the car thieves/hijackers... definitely go with the $100 in $1 bills and yell FIRE ( in Dari of course). Great idea... although 100 $1 bills is pretty bulky in my pocket.