We have all been there – impatiently awaiting a food order while clock-watching every minute that the delivery driver is late. Yesterday's findings that one in five motorcyclists have been involved in an accident in the past year while rushing to make a delivery made for shocking reading. Nearly eight in 10 of those surveyed said other vehicles were driven inconsiderately or often cut in front of them without indicating, putting their lives at risk. It stands to reason that a motorcyclist involved in a collision with a car is far more likely to suffer serious and even fatal consequences. The responsibility is manifold: while 19 per cent had been in an accident, paradoxically nearly all the motorcyclists questioned thought they were safe riders. That simply does not add up and we have all seen examples of bad motorcycling as bikers weave in and out of traffic, often riding close to the wind.
But it also behoves their employers, the restaurants and companies which dispatch those bikers, not to make unreasonable demands on those executing their duties or threatening to financially penalise motorcyclists for not making deliveries on time. It is often fear of having their pay cut that prompts those delivery drivers to speed and take unnecessary risks in the first place. It comes, therefore, as little surprise that other motorcycle delivery riders are often the ones putting their peers’ lives in danger. In the chain of responsibility, customers have their part to play too. Cutting delivery riders a little slack for being a few minutes late with a delivery or struggling to find an address is the fair and reasonable thing to do.
Captain Salim Alamimi, of Dubai Police's traffic department, has called for motorcyclists to wear high visibility jackets. "A motorbike rider is not as safe as a person driving an SUV," he has previously told The National. "When motorcyclists get in an accident, it will usually be fatal." There is no doubt bikers would pay more attention to the road if pressure was eased off them from both employers and customers. After all, no one should have to pay for a lukewarm pizza with their life.
ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
